Switching to Lumina

Dental software migration, handled properly.

We move practices from cloud and on-premise dental systems with purpose-built tooling and a team that understands dental data. Your migration plan is agreed before anything changes. Wherever possible, we prepare your data in advance, run checks before go-live, and aim for zero operational downtime.

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Cloud and on-premise systems Plan agreed before work begins New practice? Start free, no migration needed
Cloud and on-premise
We support both routes, from modern cloud PMS platforms to long-running server setups.
Secure upload and handling
Encrypted transfer, UK-hosted processing, handled under our DPA.
Clinical history preserved
Patients, notes, charting and imagery, where the source system allows.
Planned around your practice
Imports and checks run around the working day, not through it.
Aim for zero operational downtime
For many practices, the diary does not need to close during the move.
Clear plan before work begins
Scope, timing and responsibilities confirmed in writing first.
Two routes, one destination

Cloud or on-premise, we know the way across.

Whether you are moving from a modern cloud PMS or a long-running on-premise setup, we will plan the move with you. We regularly work with exports from cloud systems, server-based systems and legacy dental databases.

Cloud PMS migrations

Often the simplest path

If your current system is cloud-based, the route is usually straightforward. You request or export your data from your provider, upload it to Lumina through our secure tooling, and our team takes it from there: processing, mapping, validating and importing into your new practice.

  1. Request your export. Your current provider supplies your practice data. We will tell you exactly what to ask for.
  2. Upload it securely. Encrypted upload straight into our migration tooling. Nothing travels by email or USB stick.
  3. We process and validate. Our team maps your data to Lumina, runs validation checks and confirms the results with you.
  4. You go live. Your team signs in to a practice that already knows your patients.
Examples: Dentally, Cloud for Dentists, Software for Dentists and other cloud-based PMS platforms.
Ask about cloud migration

On-premise migrations

Starts with a call

Server-based systems vary, so we start with a conversation. We review how your system stores data, check what export or access options exist, and build a migration plan around what we find. Where it helps, we arrange a system checkover, and we can come on site depending on your practice, system and location.

  1. We talk it through. A short call about your system, version, server setup and what you want to bring across.
  2. We assess the setup. A technical review of the database, exports and access options, remotely or on site where needed.
  3. You get a clear plan. Scope, timing, responsibilities and any cost, agreed before anything changes.
  4. We run the migration. Extraction, mapping, import and validation with our internal tooling.
Examples: EXACT (Software of Excellence), R4 and other long-running server-based practice management systems.
More complex on-premise work sometimes carries a migration fee, depending on system, location and the support required. If one applies, you will know upfront, never after the work.
Book an on-premise migration call
What moves with you

Your history, not just your patient list.

Our tooling is designed to preserve your clinical and operational history. This is what we aim to bring across, where the source system allows.

Patient recordsDemographics and identifiers
Contact detailsAddresses, phones, emails
Medical historyWhere available in the export
Appointments and diaryPast and future bookings
Clinical notesFull note history
Charting dataTooth-level records
Treatment historyCompleted work
Treatment plansWhere available
X-rays and imageryWhere exportable
DocumentsLetters, forms, attachments
Recall dataDue dates and intervals
Payment historyAccount balances, where available
Practice structureStaff and surgeries, where relevant

Every system stores data differently, so we review your export before confirming the final migration scope. Our team will confirm exactly what can be migrated before the work begins, subject to data availability and export quality. The aim is always the same: preserve as much useful clinical and operational history as possible.

The process

Six steps. You will know the plan before anything changes.

The same shape every time, whether you are coming from a cloud PMS or a server in the back office.

STEP 01

Tell us what you use today

Share your current PMS, whether it is cloud or on-premise, and how your practice is set up. Fifteen minutes is usually enough.

STEP 02

We review the route

We confirm the best migration path, including what data can be exported, uploaded or accessed from your current system.

STEP 03

You receive a clear plan

Scope, timing, responsibilities, downtime expectations and any migration fee, all explained before work begins.

STEP 04

Secure transfer and import

Your data is transferred encrypted and processed with Lumina migration tooling, built for dental data structures.

STEP 05

Validation and checks

We check patient records, clinical history, diary data, documents and key practice information, and review the results with you.

STEP 06

Go-live support

We help your team move over with confidence, with our team on hand through the first days on Lumina.

Downtime

Designed around your working day.

A migration should be planned around the way your practice actually works. Wherever possible, Lumina prepares and validates your data while your team continues using the existing system. At go-live, we complete the final sync or delta import, check the result, and help your team move across with confidence. For more complex on-premise or legacy systems, we will agree the timing, scope and any practical requirements with you upfront.

Prepared while you work
We can prepare the main migration from a point-in-time export while your current system remains in use.
Final sync at go-live
At the agreed cutover point, we bring across the latest changes using a final export, delta import or system-specific migration route.
Clear about exceptions
If your current system, export quality or setup creates downtime risk, we will explain that before work begins.

Example timeline shown for illustration. The final plan depends on your current system, export route and agreed migration scope.

For existing practices

Already using another dental system?

Tell us what you are using today and we will explain the safest route to Lumina. You will understand the migration scope, timing and any downtime risk before you commit.

Book a migration call Setting up new? Start free
DentallyEXACT / Software of ExcellenceR4Software for DentistsCloud for Dentists and many other cloud and server-based dental systems
Questions, answered

Migration FAQ

Can Lumina migrate from my current dental software?

Yes. We support migrations from many cloud and on-premise systems. The exact route depends on your current provider, the export options available and how your data is structured. Tell us what you use and we will confirm the path on a short call.

Can you migrate X-rays and images?

Where imagery can be exported or accessed, we aim to migrate it alongside the clinical record it belongs to. Our team will confirm what is possible after reviewing your source system and export, before the work begins.

Will my practice have downtime?

Lumina designs migrations to minimise disruption and aims for zero operational downtime wherever possible. In many cases, we can prepare the main migration in advance while your team continues using the existing system, then complete a final sync or delta import at go-live.

Some on-premise or legacy systems need a more careful plan. If any downtime risk exists, we will explain it clearly before the migration begins.

Do cloud migrations work differently from on-premise migrations?

Yes. Cloud migrations usually involve requesting or exporting your data from your current provider and uploading it securely to Lumina, where our team processes and imports it.

On-premise migrations start with a call and a technical review, because every server setup is different. We assess the system, agree a plan, and may arrange a checkover or site visit where it helps.

Is there a migration fee?

Cloud migrations are often simpler and are included free on Growing and Enterprise plans. More complex on-premise work can carry a fee, depending on the system, location and support required. Any cost is explained upfront in your migration plan, never discovered afterwards.

What happens before we commit?

We review your current setup, explain the route, confirm the likely migration scope and give you a clear written plan covering scope, timing, responsibilities and any cost. You decide with the full picture in front of you.

Ready to move your practice to Lumina?

Whether you are starting fresh or switching from another system, we will help you choose the right route.

Book a migration call Get started for free