Why Do I Need an It Provider Who Is Dental Specific?

As a dentist, technology may not be in your wheelhouse. You’re skilled at diagnosing and treating your patients’ teeth and providing advice on lifestyle choices that affect oral health. But, in order to do your job successfully, technology becomes an inevitable part of the equation.

The modern dental office can have several computers and monitors, practice management software, intraoral cameras, digital x-ray equipment, and possibly a CAD/CAM machine. You and your staff rely on this technology to run a smooth ship. So, when something breaks, it’s critical to get it back up and running as quickly as possible.

Given technology isn’t your first language, you decide to enlist the help of a general IT provider to swoop in and save the day. You might call a friend or the guy who helped you set up your home office a few years ago, thinking you’ll save money. Ultimately, he’ll get the job done – but not until after he calls support and everyone in his contact list to figure out the problem.

In other words, this general IT provider is learning how to fix your dental equipment on your dime. Meanwhile, you may have to cancel your patients, which has a direct impact on productivity and revenue. Your “bargain” can potentially become more expensive than hiring someone who specializes in dental IT to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

The benefits of working with a dental IT provider

A dental IT provider knows exactly how every piece of technology in your dental practice should function for optimal productivity. If something breaks, he’s seen the issue hundreds of times and can fix it quickly. He also knows which files are most important to your practice and how to back them up safely. Here’s a deeper look at how a dental IT provider can help streamline your workflow and minimize downtime in your practice.

Installation

If you’re setting up or reconfiguring a dental practice, a general IT provider might not install new hardware with function in mind. A dental IT provider, on the other hand, will know where to put each component to maximize workflow in your office. He will also configure your office in such a way that patients don’t see any cables or wires. As an added benefit, a dental IT provider can offer recommendations that will improve the patient experience, such as where to place a monitor so a patient can easily see it from the chair. A dental IT provider will also consider ergonomics when installing hardware. For example, he will position a dentist’s monitor at the appropriate height to prevent awkward and painful neck movements.

Another important aspect of installation that dentists should consider is HIPAA compliance. A dental IT provider understands all of the requirements for safeguarding patient health records. Your dental tech expert will equip your office with enterprise level antivirus software, firewalls and routers. Plus, he’ll proactively manage all Windows security patches to prevent hackers from penetrating your network and stealing sensitive information.

Repairs 

Technology can be a beautiful thing – except for when it fails. When something isn’t working, getting it fixed fast is crucial for minimizing downtime. A dental IT provider can almost always remote in and fix the issue without stepping foot in your practice. He’s seen the problem countless times! He also has expertise in most of the systems and programs you use to run your practice and which ones will work with your operating system. A general IT provider doesn’t have this industry-specific knowledge.

Expertise

A dental IT provider has an understanding of who performs specific tasks in your dental practice. More importantly, he knows why they need to do these things. He anticipates that your front desk staff will need the proper hardware and software to access patient x-rays on their computers because they need to attach them to claims. A general IT provider doesn’t have this deep insight into how a dental practice functions.

Backups 

General IT providers don’t understand which files are important in your practice management and imaging software, so in the event of a data loss, you may not have the files you need. A dental IT provider can identify your most valuable data and manage your backups so you’re covered in case of a disaster. Plus, an IT provider that specializes in dental will have an understanding of HIPAA compliance – a critical part of backing up your patient data securely.

When a specialist is the best choice

Another way to think about the importance of working with a dental IT provider is to imagine you’ve just purchased a 100-year-old home. The craftsmanship is beautiful, but the foundation is crumbling. You need to hire someone to repair this important structure that supports your house, keeps out moisture, and insulates against the cold. The integrity of your home depends on it.

Would you rather give the job to your brother-in-law’s cousin, a general contractor, or to a company with decades of experience restoring historic homes? A specialist will arrive on the job having seen hundreds of cases like yours and know exactly how to approach the delicate structure keeping your investment from literally sinking into the ground. For such a critical job, the best choice is clear.

A dental IT provider can streamline your workflow and minimize downtime

You’ve spent thousands of dollars upgrading your office to have the latest equipment in digital dentistry. Why put your investment in the hands of someone who doesn’t have a clue about how to install or repair it? At Darby TechForce, we’re fluent in dental IT. Our specialized services increase practice efficiency by streamlining processes, setting up your hardware and software to work together seamlessly, troubleshooting problems before they happen, and protecting your data from security breaches and disasters. We also put an end to the finger pointing that happens when you have a problem and there’s more than one vendor involved. Our dental IT providers own your problems until they’re solved. Which, according to our calculations, should be pretty quick.

Call us today at 800-886-2093 to see how working with a dental IT provider can revolutionize your practice.