Mac app
Path to Dentist for Mac
The same loan planner, school cost pages and guides as the website, in their own Mac window. Most of it works without an internet connection. Free, with no account.
Download
Mac with M1, M2, M3 or newer (most Macs bought since late 2020)
Path-to-Dentist-arm64.dmg
Not sure which one? Apple menu, About This Mac. If it lists an M-series chip, choose Apple chip. If it lists Intel, choose Intel. All versions are on the releases page.
How to install it
Mac says the app is damaged? It is not.
“Path to Dentist” is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.
Do not move it to the Trash. The file is fine. This is the message macOS shows for any app that is not signed with a paid Apple developer certificate, and we have not bought one yet. Step 2 below fixes it in about 30 seconds.
- Open the .dmg file you downloaded and drag Path to Dentist into the Applications folder.
- Open Terminal (press Command and Space, type Terminal, press Return). Copy the line below, paste it into Terminal and press Return. It clears the “downloaded from the internet” flag that triggers the warning. Nothing is printed when it works.
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Path to Dentist.app" - Open Path to Dentist from the Applications folder. If macOS says it cannot check the app for malware, open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway. You only need to do this once.
The app opens the same pages as this website. Only run the line above if you downloaded the app from this page.
Works without internet
- The loan planner and calculators
- School cost pages and the cost comparison
- The guides, checklists and blog posts
Needs internet
- The student videos (they play from YouTube)
- The newsletter signup and the writing-help form
- Links to other websites, which open in your normal browser
Common questions
- Which download do I need?
- Click the Apple menu, then About This Mac. If it says Chip with Apple M1, M2, M3 or newer, choose the Apple chip download. If it says Processor with Intel, choose Intel.
- Why does my Mac show a warning?
- Apple warns about apps that are not signed with a paid Apple developer certificate. We have not bought one yet. On Macs with an Apple chip the warning says the app is damaged, but it is not. The Terminal line in step 2 tells your Mac you trust this app. If you would rather not, use the website at pathtodentist.com, which has the same pages.
- Is the app up to date?
- The app is a copy of the website from the day it was built, so loan rules, school costs and new pages can be newer on the website. Download the latest version from this page to update, or use pathtodentist.com for the current numbers.
- Do I need the app?
- No. Everything in it is also on the website, which is always current. The app is for people who want a separate window or want to use the planner offline.
- What about Windows or iPhone?
- There is no Windows or iPhone app. On an iPhone, open pathtodentist.com in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen to get an icon on your home screen.
Prefer the website? Open the loan planner or read the privacy policy. Questions: hello@pathtodentist.com.