---
title: "What Is Cloud-based dental software? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "Cloud-based dental software is practice software that runs over the internet on a vendor's servers, so the office does not host it on its own server."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/cloud-based-dental-software
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Technology and implants

# Cloud-based dental software

Cloud-based dental software is practice software that runs over the internet on a vendor's servers, so the office does not host it on its own server.

The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology describes cloud computing as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources.

For a dental office, this means [practice management software](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-management-software) that you open through a web browser or app. The vendor hosts the data and handles updates and backups.

Cloud systems change who holds the data, so a practice needs a [business associate agreement](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/business-associate-agreement) with the vendor. Offices should also check what happens to their data if they leave the vendor. Internet outages can stop access, so a plan for downtime matters. See [business continuity plan](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/business-continuity-plan).

[Next stepPractice consulting with Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting)

## Related terms

-   [Practice management software](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-management-software)
-   [Business associate agreement](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/business-associate-agreement)
-   [Business continuity plan](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/business-continuity-plan)
-   [Cybersecurity](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/cybersecurity)

## Sources

1.  [NIST Computer Security Resource Center: cloud computing](https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/cloud_computing)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)