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Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks by Bryan Laskin, DDS

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You likely recognize that new technology often makes dentistry more efficient and, quite frankly, more fun. Not to mention that patients today view a lack of some technologies as a lack of clinical quality. If you aren't so lucky as to have your pick of tech-savvy practices to join as an associate, don't worry.

One large advantage you do have on your side is the fact that technology integration has a snowball effect. When one technology works and the positive effects are proven, it's easier to convince people to embrace another. When you start with small steps and get others in the office on board, your technology snowball will build to a gigantic snowy mass in no time. The practice will not even realize that you have gently eased them into the progressive practice you envisioned.

The first step into incorporating more technology is simple: understand the reasons why many offices are not progressive. They view technology as:
  • expensive
  • complicated
  • something that has failed them in the past, or
  • a waste of time because they aren't committed to delivering high-quality care
The fourth reason would have me looking for another office to serve in as an associate, as changing that office's mindset will prove to be difficult and possibly diminish your opinion of your new profession.

The first three reasons are legitimate technology fears. Once we understand the more traditional (or old-school) mentality, we can start to find ways to gently, stealthily flip office perceptions, like a new-dentist-tech ninja.

You will not be able to do this all at once. I encourage taking baby steps, not only for the sake of the existing team, but for you as well. No matter how simple new tech seems, there is always a learning curve, and users need time and practice to fully adopt it. Trying to incorporate too much at once is an easy way to create a tech mutiny in the office. Besides, you have a lot to learn yourself, from clinical procedures to existing office protocols.

When you are ready to take the first small technology step, I recommend selecting one from the following detailed list. These overcome the three tech fears by using simple and intuitive solutions that provide a solid return on investment and bring value to the practice in a short amount of time.

Utilize social media. Make sure the practice is updating its social media on a regular basis with information that is engaging. Patients love seeing dental-related tips, pictures of the staff having fun, articles that give them upbeat information, specials your office is running, and what charitable things your practice is doing in the area. This costs nothing but a few minutes of your day, and is an easy way to engage your community.

Develop a practice website. If the practice hasn't already done so, establish a presence on the Internet. This requires no team involvement up front and can lead to immediate ROI from both internal and external referrals. Many companies (such as GreatDentalWebsites.com) can help create a website that is both welcoming to patients and, also search-engine optimized.

Incorporate a cloud-based communication system. The cloud sounds techy and complicated to some, but it really is one of the easiest, least-expensive things you can do to have the highest impact on office flow and production. Free applications can enable you to send digital prescriptions to your labs and specialists, securely email patients, and coordinate intra-office messaging on all of your computers, tablets and phones, with no software to install. Coordinate a lunch with the entire team to get started, and teach them the technology, taking turns to practice before you “go live” with patients in the chair. (And you may need to do the same for any referrals or labs your office communicates with, because they can be even more archaic than dentists!)

Schedule, bill and chart, using a practice- management software. The office may have a great software solution, but not be using many of its capabilities. Do yourself, your team and your practice a favor by having one of the software company's fantastic trainers come to the office and unlock the potential that is already there. Remember to let the trainer help set the pace and add only as many functions at a time as the team can handle.

Recommend equipment you can try before you buy. Look for entry points that allow you to test drive technology, proving it will increase production and benefit the practice. For example, ask your friendly supply rep to drop off an intraoral camera, high-speed LED curing light or digital X-ray system to try. All of these increase productivity greatly and yield higher-quality care, which is hard to deny once you've used them.

Purchase starter versions of tech yourself. Many technologies have lesser versions of the equipment available for purchase. For example, new matrix systems often have a small trial pack, and Isolite Systems offers the Isovac, which is a lower-cost, portable version of their successful Isolite. Once the technology is adopted, you can justify upgrades with all the bells and whistles.

Outsource more costly technology for now. Larger capital expenses—like CAD/CAM and CT cone-beam machines—are fantastic, but require large cash outlays and learning curves. In the case of CAD/CAM, you could work with a laboratory that gives a discount to digital impressions (or even buys the system for you, in some cases). When it comes to CT scans, CAD-Ray not only is a way to get scans taken, but it can also help plan implant placement and fabricate surgical stents for either you or your surgeon.

Much to my dismay, not every practice is progressive. Around 50 percent of offices still use film radiographs, only about 10 percent incorporate CAD/CAM dentistry, and many still use paper charts. I am excited that the new and recent grads, like yourself, are going to be changing this. Just go easy on us old folks, OK?



Dr. Bryan Laskin is a practicing dentist and self-proclaimed technology geek in Wayzata, Minnesota. A 1999 graduate of the University of Minnesota Dental School, Laskin is a certified CEREC trainer, founder of Prehensile Software, and developer of OperaDDS, a total communication dashboard for the dental profession, which includes intraoffice messaging, HIPAA-compliant secure emails, laboratory prescriptions and specialty referrals, using any device, anywhere.


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April 2024
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