Comparison

ADA Chairside Instructor vs Optio Dentistry

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Optio Dentistry

Features
Read full description

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

ADA Chairside Instructor3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ADA Chairside Instructor versus Optio Dentistry: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterADA Chairside InstructorOptio Dentistry
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 7 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPad
Requires iOS16.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB8 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAmerican Dental AssociationOptio Publishing

In-app purchases

None

ADA Chairside Instructor

No in-app purchases

None

Optio Dentistry

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ADA Chairside Instructor free?
ADA Chairside Instructor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Optio Dentistry free?
Optio Dentistry is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ADA Chairside Instructor or Optio Dentistry have ads?
Neither ADA Chairside Instructor nor Optio Dentistry shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ADA Chairside Instructor or Optio Dentistry?
ADA Chairside Instructor ships an update every 7 months, and Optio Dentistry every 9 months. Most recently, ADA Chairside Instructor was updated on October 6, 2026 and Optio Dentistry on October 4, 2026.

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