How to Evaluate the DS Core Platform: A Cost Controller's 7-Step Checklist

When I first started evaluating digital dentistry platforms for our clinic group, I assumed the lowest monthly subscription would win. Three vendor evaluations and one painful migration later, I can tell you that's wrong in ways that cost real money. This checklist is what I use now—seven steps that have saved us from at least two bad procurement decisions over the past six years.

Who This Checklist Is For

Practice administrators, procurement managers, and anyone who has to make a digital platform decision without a bottomless budget. If you're evaluating the DS Core platform (Dentsply Sirona's cloud platform, in case you're newer to the digital dentistry space) or any comparable system, this is the process I recommend. It's not the only process—but it's the one that's survived contact with real budgets.

Step 1: Map Your Current Workflow Before Talking to Vendors

Don't book a single demo until you've documented how your practice actually works. Which equipment produces patient data? Where does that data live? Who needs access to it, and what do they do with it? You'd be surprised how many procurement conversations start with the wrong question—"which platform is best?"—instead of the right one: "what problem are we solving?"

This workflow map is your best negotiating tool, too. When a vendor claims their platform does something, you can respond with "show me how that works with my specific workflow" (which, honestly, ends most vague feature-talk immediately).

Step 2: Build a TCO Spreadsheet (Total Cost of Ownership)

It's tempting to compare monthly subscription fees and call it a day. That oversimplification is exactly how practices get burned. Your TCO spreadsheet should include at least:

• Base subscription fees—the headline number you'll be quoted
• Implementation and setup—often quoted separately, sometimes negotiable
• Hardware upgrades—does the platform require new computers, monitors, or scanners (think: a new workstation for the front desk)?
• Data migration—get this in writing before you sign; it's usually the biggest surprise
• Training time—count staff hours, not just vendor training fees
• Integration work—does it actually connect to your existing CBCT, intraoral scanners, or practice management software?
• Security compliance—configuration, auditing, and potential liability
• Exit costs—can you export your patient records if you leave? Is there a fee?

When I audited our 2023 spending on digital tools, I found that two of our five subscription services had hidden integration costs that added 22% to their published prices. That's the difference between a TCO mindset and a price-comparison mindset. The cheapest quote often isn't the cheapest outcome—it's just the easiest one to put on a spreadsheet.

Step 3: Get Interoperability in Writing

Every vendor says they "integrate with everything." They don't. Some mean real-time, automated data flow; others mean you can manually export a CSV and import it into their system. (In other words, ask exactly what "integration" means before you assume anything.)

Ask for a written list of compatible equipment. Then ask to talk to a reference customer whose setup resembles yours. If the vendor hesitates, that's your answer. I learned this the hard way when a platform we were evaluating claimed compatibility with one of our scanners—the "integration" turned out to be a workaround requiring staff to manually transfer files between systems.

Step 4: Verify Security and Compliance Claims

This one is non-negotiable. Ask for the vendor's security certifications—SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are the ones I look for—and a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) in writing. Ask where patient data is hosted. Ask how encryption works, both at rest and during transmission.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (hhs.gov), covered entities are ultimately responsible for ensuring their business associates handle protected health information properly. Translation: if your platform vendor has a breach, your practice still carries accountability. Do the diligence before you sign, not after.

One question most people forget: What happens to your data if you cancel? I've seen export fees range from "nothing—take your data" to a four-figure exit charge. Verify this early, because it affects your leverage in every future negotiation.

Step 5: Budget Training as a Hard Cost

Training is where procurement teams get lazy. It's not just the vendor's onboarding fee—it's the productivity dip, the staff hours, and the ongoing cost of training new hires. For every platform rollout, I budget 20-30 hours of staff time, plus a recurring component for turnover. If a vendor tells you their platform is "so intuitive you won't need training," be skeptical. That's probably true for a demo, and rarely true when real patient workflows are involved.

In Q2 2024, when I compared vendors, one platform included training in the implementation fee. Another had a lower monthly price but charged separately for every training session. The "cheaper" platform ended up 18% more expensive over the first year. That's the kind of difference a TCO spreadsheet catches—and the kind that gets missed when you're only comparing monthly numbers.

Step 6: Evaluate the Ecosystem, Not Just the Features

Here's where I'll get specific, because it matters. The DS Core platform is worth evaluating as an ecosystem, not just as software. It connects to a broad range of dental equipment—intraoral scanners, CBCT units, chairside milling systems, and more. From a procurement standpoint, that's valuable: the more of your existing devices that integrate smoothly, the less staff time you waste moving data around.

The numbers told me Platform A was the safer financial choice—15% cheaper with comparable features. My gut said Platform B (what we eventually chose) was the better long-term bet, because the vendor was investing heavily in expanding their ecosystem. My gut wasn't quantifiable at the time, but it turned out to be right: two years later, the breadth of integrations has saved us far more than the initial price difference. I'm not saying ignore the numbers—I'm saying your TCO model should include qualitative factors like ecosystem momentum.

That said, the reverse is also worth considering: a platform with a thin roadmap is a hidden liability. I'd rather pay slightly more monthly for a platform backed by substantial R&D investment than save money on one with limited development. The conventional wisdom says "buy the best feature set for the price." My experience across a dozen procurement cycles suggests the ecosystem trajectory matters more than any single feature on a roadmap slide.

The value of a unified platform isn't just the feature set—it's the certainty that your data will be where you need it, when you need it. For a busy practice, that certainty is often worth more than a monthly cost difference.

Step 7: Negotiate for the Long Term

The step most people skip, and the one that can save the most, is negotiation. Platform subscription pricing is rarely fixed. When we signed with our current platform, a three-year commitment unlocked 15% off monthly pricing plus waived implementation fees. That only happened because I asked.

Practical things to ask for:

• Multi-year pricing—request quotes for 1, 2, and 3-year terms; the spread tells you what the vendor actually prioritizes
• Implementation fee waivers—often negotiable, especially for annual commitments
• Included training—can be worth thousands over the first year
• Growth clauses—what happens if you add a location or extra providers?
• Exit terms—data export, notice periods, and any penalties

To be fair, not every vendor will move on price. Some have thin margins and a product that sells itself. But you don't know until you ask. I've found that the quieter the negotiation, the more room there usually was.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Assuming "cloud" means the same thing across vendors. Some platforms are fully cloud-native. Others are "cloud-enabled"—meaning they sync data to the cloud but still rely on on-premise infrastructure. These are very different operating models with very different cost structures.

Mistake 2: Ignoring data export costs. I keep circling back to this because it's the one that traps people. A platform you can't leave is a trap, not a home. Always ask about export terms before you sign.

Mistake 3: Underestimating change management. Switching platforms isn't just a technical project—it's a cultural one. Your team has habits, preferences, and established workflows. Even a "better" platform will face resistance if the transition isn't managed deliberately. Budget real time for this.

Mistake 4: Obsessing over the monthly price. The $150 plan that creates 20 hours of manual work per month is more expensive than the $200 plan that automates it. Run the math on staff time before you decide.

Final Thought

Even after we signed our current platform contract, I kept second-guessing. What if staff adoption bombed? What if the migration stalled? The first 90 days were stressful, honestly. But the training plan we'd budgeted for in Step 5 carried us through, and by day 100 our team was past baseline productivity.

Structured evaluation doesn't guarantee certainty. It gives you a framework when doubt hits. I'm not 100% sure there's a perfect platform out there—every practice has different equipment, different people, different priorities. But I am confident that this checklist will help you understand what you're actually paying for before you commit. If you're evaluating DS Core or any comparable platform, start with the workflow map. Everything else follows from it.

Pricing and regulatory information is for general reference only. Actual prices and compliance requirements vary by vendor, location, and time of order. Verify current rates and regulations with official sources.