Case Study
Memphis-Area Dental Practice: Imaging Outage Fixed, Vendor Call Handled
Managed IT services for a Memphis-area dental practice: Netcosa sorted out a DEXIS imaging outage by calling the vendor, then flagged a Dentrix update ahead of time.
Client: Memphis-Area Dental Practice
A dental practice in the Memphis metro area relies on Netcosa for managed IT services, including support for Dentrix, its practice management software, and DEXIS, its imaging software. A lot of IT providers answer software problems with “It’s not my problem. Call your vendor.” Netcosa does the opposite.
- A doctor at a Memphis-area dental practice reported that they couldn’t get images, and Netcosa took the problem on instead of sending the practice to DEXIS
- The cause was not the obvious one, so Netcosa called DEXIS directly and got it sorted out
- On that call, DEXIS flagged an upcoming Dentrix imaging-module replacement, and Netcosa told the practice ahead of time: 2 minutes per computer
- Repeating Dentrix problems like DDX Desktop get the same handling, even when a vendor code fix can take 12 to 16 months
Challenge: A DEXIS Imaging Outage
In March 2026, a doctor at the practice texted Joe Pennel, President of Netcosa, that they couldn’t get images.
Telling the doctor to call DEXIS and that it wasn’t Netcosa’s problem was never the plan. Netcosa took the problem on.
The first read of the cause turned out to be wrong. As Joe put it: “[I] kind of knew exactly what it was when I got in there, but it wasn’t what I thought it was.” That meant a call to DEXIS.
Does your IT provider make the vendor call, or hand you the number? Netcosa makes it. Schedule your free assessment or call (901) 306-7575.
Response: Take the Problem, Then Call the Vendor
Netcosa called DEXIS and, in Joe’s words, “we got it sorted out.”
DEXIS then flagged something else: Dentrix updates were coming that would replace the imaging module inside Dentrix, so every computer at the practice would need the new software. Netcosa passed that along to the practice before anyone had to ask.
“Two minutes per computer, no big deal. But … I communicate that … I want to manage that vendor relationship.”
— Joe Pennel, President, Netcosa
The reasoning comes down to time. A practice that calls Dentrix on its own is “going to be on the phone for hours,” Joe says, while the same call from Netcosa “could be just a really quick call for me.”
It is not special treatment for one practice. Repeating Dentrix problems get the same handling. Here is a general example from March 2026:
- Every Dentrix update automatically installs a second application called DDX Desktop
- For practices that don’t use it, it breaks navigation inside patient charts. Users can’t flip to a patient’s chart because “DDX keeps trying to put itself into the workflow”
- It gets removed each time it reappears
- Netcosa puts in a request with the vendor asking that it stop installing automatically with Dentrix updates
- Once a vendor has a fix in progress, Netcosa stays on the ticket and gets responses as it moves forward, though vendor follow-up is “pretty rare”
- A vendor code change like this can take an estimated 12 to 16 months, “because it’s a big coding project”
Outcome: Outage Sorted Out, Update Flagged Ahead of Time
The call to DEXIS sorted out the imaging outage. The Dentrix imaging-module update reached the practice as a heads-up, not as a surprise the practice had to call about. The one number attached to that update was two minutes per computer.
2 minutes
Per computer to apply the Dentrix imaging-module update
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Time to apply the imaging-module update | 2 minutes per computer |
This is not a dramatic rebuild. It is a report from a doctor, a call to DEXIS, and a heads-up about an update. It shows where Netcosa puts the vendor work: with Netcosa, not with the practice.
That is what managed IT services from Netcosa look like when a vendor is involved. The practice calls Netcosa, and Netcosa makes the call.
Tired of being told to call your vendor? Talk to Netcosa about dental practice IT support.
Services: Managed IT Services
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