The technology landscape is always evolving, and some changes can directly impact how your dental practice operates. This page is your central hub for critical technical alerts that may affect your systems, compliance, or patient care.
From operating system retirement to dental software notices and emerging security threats, consider this your go-to resource for essential updates and expert guidance.

Current Technical Alerts for Dental Practices

Dentrix: Version 26 Updates & Windows 10 Deadline

What's Happening: Henry Schein One has released Dentrix Version 26, introducing a rapid cadence of updates (versions 26.1 through 26.10 as of May 2026) with significant interface changes, new background components, and revised system requirements. At the same time, a hard deadline is approaching: after June 30, 2026, Dentrix will no longer be supported on Windows 10. Practices are also reporting slowness and instability tied to automatic updates pushing without sufficient warning.

Why It Matters: These cahnges touch nearly every Dentrix-based dental practice and carry compliance, security, and operational risk if left unaddressed:

  • HIPAA exposure: Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 in October 2025 (see Windows 10 Retirement alert below), meaning workstations still running Windows 10 no longer receive security patches. Combined with Dentrix's June 30, 2026 cutoff, practices face both a software support gap and a compliance risk.
  • Unplanned downtime: Dentrix's automatic update feature has been rolling out updates on Henry Schein One's schedule, sometimes without adequate practice control. Updates have caused slowness, module instability, and unexpected behavior changes mid-day.
  • Higher hardware demands: Each Version 26 update installs additional background components (Dentrix Imaging Center, DDX, AI features) that consume memory and processing power. Workstations that were performing well a year ago may now be struggling.

Who's Affected:

  • All practices running Dentrix on Windows 10 workstations.
  • Practices that have auto-updated to Dentrix Version 26 and are experiencing slowness or instability.
  • Practices with servers or workstations that are 3+ years old or running traditional hard drives (non-SSD).
  • Practices that haven't reviewed their antivirus exclusions since updating to Version 26.

Key Deadlines:

  • October 14, 2025: Microsoft ended security updates for Windows 10 (already passed).
  • June 30, 2026: Henry Schein One will no longer support installing Dentrix on Windows 10.

Helpful Actions:

  • Audit your Windows 10 workstations nows. Any computer still running Windows 10 needs to be upgraded to Windows 11 or replaced before June 30, 2026. Not all older hardware supports Windows 11, a hardware assessment is the right first step.
  • Evaluate your server hardware. If your server is more than five years old, is running traditional hard drives instead of SSDs, or has less than 16 GB of RAM, it may no longer meet the 2026 Dentrix system requirements, and performance could continue to downgrade with each update.
  • Get control of automatic updates. Updates can be scheduled through the Dentrix Update Manager (Help > About > Check for Updates), but settings sometimes revert after updates. Your IT provider should verify and lock update preferences after each Version 26 release.

Recommended Action:

  • Pact-One Clients: Connect with your Client Success Manager to review your Hardware Lifecycle Report to ensure your within the requirements prior to the June 30 deadline.
  • Other Concerned Dental Practices: Schedule an IT Analysis to understand your exposure and get a clear upgrade plan before the deadline passes.

References:

Last updated: May 21, 2026

What's Happening: Microsoft released security updates to address CVE-2026-21509, a Microsoft Office security feature bypass vulnerability. Successful exploitation requires a used to be convinced to open a malicious Office file. Microsoft also notes the Preview Pane is not an attack vector for this vulnerability.

Why It Matters: Office documents can be a daily workflow tool in dental practices (referrals, HR, insurance, vendor files). Vulnerabilities like this matter because one bad file can lead to avoidable disruption (slowness, instability, or worse) if systems aren’t updated promptly.

Who's Affected:

  • Practices running Microsoft Office 2016 or Office 2019 that have not yet installed the latest security update.
  • Practices running Office 2021 and later / Microsoft 365 Apps may be protected through a service-side change, but will need to restart Office apps for protection to take effect.

Recommended Action:

  • Pact-One Clients: An update has been deployed across managed systems.
  • Other Concerned Dental Practices: Contact your IT provider immediately for an update. If you don’t have a provider, please contact us to understand your potential exposure and options.

References:

Last updated: January 27, 2026

What's Happening: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently experiencing a widespread outage that's impacting multiple online platforms and services across the U.S.

Who's Affected:

  • Pact-One Clients: Our ticketing system is experiencing temporary disruptions. You may encounter delays when submitting or receiving updates on support requests. Please call the Support Line at 855-339-2964 if you have an urgent support request.
  • Cloud-based practice management platforms (such as Curve, Dentrix, etc.) may be experiencing slowness due to the outage.

Last updated: October 20, 2025

What's Happening: Microsoft is officially retiring Windows 10. After this date, devices running Windows 10 will no longer receive security updates or technical support.

Why It Matters: Continuing to use Windows 10 after EOL puts your practice at risk of:

  • Data breaches from unpatched vulnerabilities
  • HIPAA compliance violations
  • Incompatibility with dental software

Who's Affected: All practices using PCs or workstations still running Windows 10.

Recommended Action:

  • Pact-One Clients: Contact your Client Success Manager to review your upgrade options.
  • Other Concerned Dental Practices: Schedule an IT Analysis to understand your exposure and options.

What's Happening: Henry Schein One has updated its API Exchange integration policy for Dentrix.

Why It Matters: Integrations with non-verified vendors can compromise the stability of Dentrix. Dental practices utilizing these unauthorized vendors may experience:

  • Software slowness or crashes
  • Failed upgrades
  • Database corruption risks

Who's Affected: All practices using an unauthorized vendor.

Recommended Action:

  • Check Your Vendors: Verify whether your integrated vendors (VoIP, communication, billing, revenue cycle management, etc.) are on Dentrix's approved list linked here.
  • Understand the Risks: Learn more about why unauthorized vendors pose a threat to security and performance by viewing the API Security FAQs.

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