Dental software might not be able to do it all, but the right software can be crucial to your role in the dental office.
Having a good dental software system in your office is important for keeping your schedule organized, minimizing the amount of time spent on administrative tasks, and even communicating what your patients need during appointments.
Your software should make your job easier, not harder, yet many dentists and their support staff find themselves more frustrated by their dental office software than happy with it.
If you’re not sure you have the right dental software, are looking for a better option, or just want to learn more about how to make your dental software transition smoother, you’re in the right place.
One of the big decisions you need to make is whether you’re going to store information on a local server, in a cloud database, or both.
Having both is most secure – you have both physical and cloud copies of your digital information, which helps make sure you aren’t vulnerable to data corruption, equipment damage, and other digital threats.
However, if you’re only going to use one, there are some things to consider before making a decision. Most dental offices prefer using the cloud because it offers faster data transfers and makes it easier for dental networks with more than one office to communicate.
But, if your office has spotty internet, or you're concerned about increased cybersecurity threats in the last few years, servers may be safer and more practical for your office.
Every office requires different features and has a different priority list for those features. Brainstorm necessary features with your team and create a ranked list from highest to lower priority. Now you're prepared to start researching and comparing different software options.
Customer support might not be something you need very often, but a good customer support team behind your chosen software is critical. Tech support will help with updates, any time you encounter a glitch, or if you have other problems with the software after installation.
Plus, good tech support teams will also make your software transition easier.
Once you have your top 3 software options picked, start looking for user reviews of the customer service behind the software. Read about other dentists' real experiences with the software, and how the company handled any problems with that software.
UptimeHealth simplifies medical device service events, purchases, and compliance practices through automation and predictive analytics. It is designed to work for a wide variety of medical practices across both human medicine and veterinary medicine.
UptimeHealth has a robust series of features and functions designed to make it more versatile to fit each practice’s needs. That versatility increases the odds that UptimeHealth will have a version of the features and functions you use most in your dental practice.
You may even find that there are some additional non-standard features in UptimeHealth that are useful in your dental practice.
UptimeHealth is designed to help keep track of all your equipment in one place. That means no more moving between different software or different dashboards to track your dental equipment, orthodontic equipment, or miscellaneous supplies.
The software also has an advanced task scheduling system that not only helps your staff keep track of what needs doing, it also helps make sure tasks happen in order and on time – preventing scrambles for sterilized equipment or snafus when you don’t have the supplies you need at the start of an appointment.
Here are a few quick tips to help make it easier to decide which dental software is right for you.
The software can be powerful and effective, but still have the wrong interface for you and your team. Rather than risking steep learning curves and difficult transitions, request software demos from your top contenders and see how you feel about the program before you commit to switching.
One of the biggest struggles with getting new dental software is that many companies undersell how long it will take to transfer data and get the software working. Regardless of what each company tells you, plan on transfers taking a few weeks, and consider having your old software active a little longer to help smooth the transfer and make the switch.
Transferring data isn’t always the only step required to get your new dental software up and running. Consider asking the new software company whether they recommend data conversion at the end of the data transfer. Conversion can make data more accessible but adds to the timeline to get working software.
The bigger your organization, the more software and platforms your dental offices are most likely being exposed to. Ask the new software company if they can integrate with your existing softwares for a smooth transition and learn more about single sign on capabilities. Nowadays, most companies are able to provide both, but make sure you ask before you commit to a contract.
Any time you have to implement a new software, make sure you get to know the team you will be working with. The last thing you need is a company that is all talk and no action. Finding out who you will be working with directly to build out your software is going to make you feel more confident that you made the right decision.