You’ve narrowed it down to two. Here’s the complete breakdown — PMS integration, team coverage, pricing, and where each tool actually fits — so you can make a confident decision and move on.
A direct comparison across the dimensions that matter most to a working dental practice.
| Feature | OraCore | Bola AI |
|---|---|---|
| PMS Integration | ✓Pro can use PMS-read context on eligible workflows; Solo and Team use manual export | 6 systems (Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Curve, Fuse) |
| Note Writeback | Structured notes ready for team review and entry | ~Voice Perio writes perio data in real-time; AI Scribe writeback unconfirmed |
| Team Coverage | ✓Dentist + Hygienist + Assistant + Front Desk | –Dentist + Hygienist only |
| Pricing Model | ✓Hours-based, unlimited providers per location | –Per-user (not publicly listed) |
| Starting Price | ✓$79/mo — unlimited providers | –Not published — demo required |
| Free Trial | ✓14-day free trial | ✗Demo only |
| Perio Support | Perio charting planned add-on | ✓Voice Perio — verify current PMS workflow and review scope |
| Insurance Narratives | ✓Reviewed narrative and attachment-context workflow | –Notes formatted for claims (not standalone AI feature) |
| Patient Follow-up | ✓Auto-drafted after every appointment | ✗Not available |
| Front Desk Features | ✓Task signals, insurance narratives, follow-up drafts | ✗No front desk product |
| BAA Included | ✓Yes — all tiers | ✓Yes |
| Founded | 2025 | 2017 |
Two things stand out immediately. First, the pricing gap: OraCore publishes its pricing. Bola AI does not. Second, team coverage: OraCore treats dentists, hygienists, assistants, and front desk staff as equal first-class users. Bola’s front desk product simply doesn’t exist.
Not all PMS integration is the same. There’s a real difference between a tool that exports a note for you to copy-paste versus one that reads patient context, appointment data, and demographics directly from your existing system.
OraCore supports PMS-aware workflows differently by plan. Solo and Team use manual review and export. Pro can use PMS-read context on eligible workflows, including appointment data, demographics, and treatment-history context. Your team still reviews and controls what enters the final record. For current details, review the PMS integrations overview.
Bola AI integrates with 6 confirmed PMS systems: Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Curve Dental, and Fuse. Their Voice Perio is presented publicly as a perio-focused voice workflow. Practices should verify current PMS behavior, review controls, retention terms, and BAA scope during procurement.
Where OraCore has the edge is breadth. If you’re running anything outside Bola’s six supported PMS systems, OraCore is the cleaner fit. And if you’re on one of the six Bola supports, both tools are viable — the other comparison points start to matter more.
Here’s the workflow reality most AI scribe comparisons skip: documentation isn’t just a dentist problem.
A full hygiene appointment produces roughly 192 structured data points — six probing depths per tooth, bleeding, recession, furcation, tissue quality — all while the hygienist’s hands are occupied. Then there’s the treatment summary, patient education notes, and follow-up tasks that need to reach the front desk before the patient gets to checkout.
OraCore is built for the entire care team. Dentist notes, hygienist charting, assistant coordination signals, and front desk handoffs are all first-class workflows — not afterthoughts. As explored in our AI scribe accuracy analysis, documentation burden doesn’t live in one role.
Bola AI’s strength is hygienist and dentist workflows. Voice Perio is legitimately excellent — it’s their flagship product, and they’ve been refining it for nearly a decade. What Bola doesn’t offer is a front desk product: no scheduling task signals, no insurance narrative generation as a distinct feature, no patient follow-up drafting.
For a two-person practice where the dentist and hygienist are the whole clinical team, this gap might not matter today. For a practice with five providers, an office manager, and a front desk handling insurance calls between patients, it matters a lot.
PRICING
Solo, Team, and Pro include a 14-day trial. Monthly base hours reset each month, and optional rollover bundles never expire, so a busy week does not force an immediate plan change.
Both products support ambient capture. OraCore includes AI operatory audio leveling — designed specifically for the noise environment of a real dental operatory: suction, handpiece, music, adjacent room conversations. These aren’t edge cases; they’re Tuesday morning.
Bola AI addresses the noise challenge by recommending specific microphone hardware for different operatory configurations. Practical, but the noise handling is managed at the hardware level rather than the software level.
On HIPAA: both products should be reviewed through the same HIPAA procurement lens: BAA terms, access controls, retention, deletion, audit trails, and human review before final record entry. Ask each vendor to document current safeguards before rollout.
Bola AI is a charting specialist. They’ve earned their reputation with hygienists specifically, and their perio workflow is the most mature in the market. For practices where Voice Perio is the whole use case, that’s enough.
OraCore is built for the full practice workflow. Transparent pricing. Unlimited providers. Full team coverage from the operatory to the front desk. And a roadmap that may extend into downstream workflow support over time, while Scribe is the live buyer path today.
You’ve done the homework. The choice comes down to whether you need a specialist or a platform.
Related resources
Review OraCore’s Open Dental workflow and PMS-context framing. Open resource.
Compare voice perio and broader hygiene documentation support. Open resource.
Review manual export, PMS-read context, and integration planning. Open resource.
Compare Solo, Team, Pro, and Enterprise plan fit. Open resource.
Schedule a 15-minute demo and we’ll walk through your specific PMS, team size, and workflow. Or start your 14-day trial when you are ready to test OraCore with real appointments.
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