At Dentally, we know your practice data is critical — patient records, appointments, and financials must be kept secure, up-to-date, and recoverable in any situation. This article explains how we handle data backups, encryption, and disaster recovery so you can feel confident your information is protected.
How often is my data backed up?
Dentally uses automated backups powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). These backups are performed frequently and consistently to ensure your data is protected with minimal risk of loss.
Automatic Snapshots: We use AWS database snapshots, which are taken at regular intervals.
These backups allow for the recovery of data to a specific point in time (known as Point-in-Time Recovery).
Is my backup data encrypted?
Yes. All Dentally backups are protected with AES-256 encryption, the industry standard for both:
Data at rest (when stored in our databases), and
Data in transit (as it moves between systems).
This means your sensitive information is safe from unauthorised access at all stages of storage and processing.
What format is the backup in?
Your data is stored as AWS database snapshots, which are:
Secure and efficient for restoring data within the Dentally platform.
Not accessible via third-party tools — meaning you cannot directly open them in Excel, CSV viewers, or other file-based programs.
This ensures integrity and prevents tampering or misinterpretation of data.
Can you restore my data to a specific time?
Yes — Dentally supports Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR) using AWS technology.
This means that in the event of accidental data loss or system failure, we can restore your practice’s data to a specific moment, within the retention window.
More technical information about this process is available in AWS's documentation.
Where is my data stored?
All UK Dentally data — including backups — is hosted securely in AWS’s eu-west-1 region (Ireland). This region includes:
Three separate physical data centres (Availability Zones) for resilience.
Built-in redundancy to ensure uptime and data protection even if one zone is affected.
Canadian data is stored locally in Canada and APAC data is stored locally in Sydney, Australia.
Do I have a data backup SLA?
Customers on Dentally’s Enterprise Plan receive a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) detailing data availability and restoration times.
For all other users, your data is still protected by the same robust infrastructure and best-in-class backup processes.
Dentally’s cloud-native architecture ensures your data is backed up securely, encrypted, and ready to be restored if needed. From automatic snapshots to point-in-time recovery, your practice is in safe hands. You can read more about our security policy here.
If you have further questions about data security or backups, contact us via support chat and click to speak with a human.