ADA Chairside Instructor vs Optio Dentistry
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ADA Chairside Instructor
This app provides dental professionals with a comprehensive visual guide for patient education. It features over 250 full-color images and 25 animations covering a wide range of dental topics, from prevention to complex restorations. Users can also draw on images and email them to patients.
- 250+ full-color dental images
- 25 animations
- Draw on images and email
- iCloud photo access
- Upload from Camera Roll
- English and Spanish text
- WiFi printing
- Favorites list
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Chairside Instructor - the best-selling dental case guide from the American Dental Association – is now available as an app for iPhone and iPad! With over 250 full-color dental images and 25 animations, the ADA Chairside Instructor App is your all-in-one resource for visual patient education. Content covers a wide range of prevention and treatment topics, including hygiene; anatomy; x-rays; periodontal disease; decay; crown, bridge, dentures, root canal, and other restorations; orthodontics; cosmetic treatment; TMJ; pathologies; and now cracked tooth and bruxism. Ideal for patient education or as a teaching tool for dental assistants. Eight categories include Oral Anatomy, Prevention and Diagnosis, Gum Disease, Caries and Restorations, Tooth Replacement, Orthodontics, Cosmetic Options, and Other Oral Conditions. Also includes effects of sugar on oral health; steps of filling a cavity; tooth erosion; gum recession; peri-implantitis; and tobacco use. - Plus, these award-winning features: - 51 new/revised full-color images - Show 25 silent animations on your device. - Draw on pictures and email them to patients. - Access pictures across multiple devices from iCloud. - Upload photos from your own Camera Roll - Includes both English and Spanish text - WiFi printing - Add frequently viewed topics to your Favorites list for quick access or create your own - Use in both portrait and landscape orientation for both iPhone and iPad - Download on up to 6 devices for your dental team to use
Optio Dentistry
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Dental patient education videos, slides and illustrations for in office use by dental professionals to aid in the communication of dental procedures with their patients.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Optio Dentistry at 9.0 against ADA Chairside Instructor's 16.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ADA Chairside Instructor ships an update every 7 months, Optio Dentistry every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ADA Chairside Instructor | Optio Dentistry |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 192 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | American Dental Association | Optio Publishing |
In-app purchases
ADA Chairside Instructor
No in-app purchases
Optio Dentistry
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ADA Chairside Instructor free?
Is Optio Dentistry free?
Do ADA Chairside Instructor or Optio Dentistry have ads?
Which is updated more often, ADA Chairside Instructor or Optio Dentistry?
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