Almost all digital radiography systems come with their own software that allows capture and basic manipulation of the images. While this software is adequate for some offices, it is often under featured in its ability to perform more advanced tasks, such as applying filters to sharpen or improve the contrast, emailing images directly from the program without the need to cut-and-paste, and incorporating images directly into Word documents with a single click.

The theme for the next few issues will be on Developing a Chartless Practice. I know many people like to use the word “Paperless”, but I’ve never been a huge fan of that term. Whether it’s walkout statements, copies of images, insurance forms, or many other items, paper will still be part of every dental practice. However, there are many offices that we have set up that have eliminated paper charts, and this is a very obtainable goal.

The “sermon” for this week (don’t worry, I’ll keep it short!) is my strong feeling that any money you spend on technology should be viewed as an investment. You are investing in your ability to provide better care to your patients, to attract more new patients to the practice, to provide care that is less invasive to your patients, and to make the practice more appealing to future associates or buyers. I certainly know how expensive it can be to outfit a dental office. I spent over $250,000...

The theme of this week’s newsletter is data backup. In the other two sections, I’ll give you an example of one type of backup protocol we use for many offices, as well as telling you about my favorite backup software, Karen’s Replicator.

Many of the offices that I work with are aiming towards a truly chartless goal. I’ve never been a big fan of the term “paperless” as it isn’t really accurate to me. There will always be paper, whether it’s walkout statements, hard copies of images, insurance forms, or numerous other documents. However, for offices that are reducing their paper and increasing the amount of digital data, protecting that data becomes absolutely critical.

As the modern dental practice continues to evolve, many dentists are aiming towards a “paperless” practice. I personally think that the term “paperless” isn’t really accurate as there will always be paper in the office. However, chartless is a realistic goal and we’ve set up many, many practices that no longer have a physical chart that they move from room to room.

Another ADA Meeting has come and gone…always the best time of the year to see the latest and greatest when it comes to technology. Three days of mind-numbing meetings, walking the floor, visiting the vendors…and I still only scratched the surface. Here are some of the main products, services, and news that I heard, in no particular order...