Technology has impacted almost every aspect of life, including the healthcare sector. Many healthcare offices, like dental practices, have started to integrate basic IT tools into their operations. These include storing data on excel spreadsheets or social media marketing. But these minor IT changes aren’t enough to get dental practices ready for a world dominated by technology. Dental offices and staff need to use industry-recognized IT dental services, tools, technologies, systems, and networks for optimal performance and growth. 

This blog discusses some reasons why your dental practice needs IT support and services from a top-rated dental IT service provider. 

Increased Cyber security  

A survey by Statista suggested that the healthcare sector is one of the most frequently-targeted industries by cyber criminals, second only to finance. Several medical and dental services were the victims of 173  cyber-attacks  between November 2020 and October 2021. These numbers are alarming and show how different dental and medical offices have vulnerabilities in their IT systems, which makes them easier targets for cyber criminals. 

Dental practices rarely invest in the latest tools and technologies for Cyber security , allowing cyber criminals to access their data without having to deal with multiple Cyber security  defenses. Additionally, many cyber criminals choose to target the healthcare sector, including dental offices, to get access to Protected Health Information (PHI). These dental offices have to store a massive amount of data like financial records, patients’ personal and insurance information, and medical history. 

cyber criminals breach the systems of dental practices to steal this Protected Health Information (PHI), which allows them to commit identity fraud. Criminals can filter the records at a dental practice to find out information about patients that get medical benefits from the US government through programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Additionally, these cyber criminals can use this information to fraudulently obtain prescribed medicines or healthcare devices. 

These records are enough to indicate the importance of dental IT services for dental offices. IT support teams can encrypt data, store it on a password-protected cloud, and detect and remove system vulnerabilities to reduce the risk of data breaches. 

Enhanced Data Storage and Retrieval 

As discussed above, dental practices have to deal with large amounts of data daily. They have to record the information of new patients, check-up the medical history of existing patients, and make changes to data when needed. Additionally, alongside patient information, they have to handle employee data and records about various dental equipment at a dental facility. Some dentists also have virtual files dedicated to the insurance records of different patients or the details of medical benefits several patients receive from the government. 

Losing any of these records or fetching the wrong details from a database can be a huge issue for dental practices. Dental clinics need to have a managed IT service that handles the data, stores it, and makes it easier for dentists to retrieve it when needed. IT support uses a cloud backup for dental offices that stores data regularly in the cloud, creating more space in the local IT systems and servers. Additionally, regular data backup makes it easier for dentists and other dental professionals to access the right information quickly. 

A dental IT service provider ensures that your dental facility’s data is protected in the cloud and accessible only to authorized individuals. This feature also reduces the risk of data breaches or data getting lost due to improper backup.

Decreased Downtime 

Downtime is perhaps one of the biggest nightmares for dental practices worldwide. This negatively impacts any ongoing treatment and forces dentists, hygienists, dental surgeons, and orthodontists to stop what they’re doing for some time. Additionally, downtime results in other issues like a negative reputation, time wastage, and financial loss. Downtime at a dental office can happen due to faulty equipment and machines, system or network issues, or problems with the IT software being used at the facility. 

A dental IT service minimizes downtime at the office by providing 24/7 maintenance and monitoring. Their IT support teams regularly administer and manage IT systems, networks, and equipment, ensuring that they’re in working order and don’t have any visible issues that might lead to downtime. Additionally, these IT support services are present to handle downtime, solving the underlying issues so that a dental practice can restore its operations quickly. 

Around-the-Clock Patient Support 

Like all other facilities, dental practices also need to enhance patient support to ensure that their dental office has a positive reputation. Better interaction and communication with the patients allow dental practices to boost their image, get more patients, and experience financial benefits. But employees at a dental practice rarely have the time to get back to all patients, queries, and calls, alongside dealing with the daily processes. In contrast, a high-quality service providing IT support for dentists provides timely and on-point patient support. 

A dental IT service can provide VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone support, allowing dental practices to stay in touch with their patients 24/7. VoIP phone systems are easier to integrate, provide better scalability, reduce costs, allow multi-tasking, and come with other advanced features that let dental practices communicate with their loyal patients or first-time visitors. Dental practices need to answer queries and be available whenever the patients need support, which is possible through a VoIP phone provided by a dental IT service.

Use of Updated Software and the Latest Technologies 

Many dental practitioners use outdated software and systems for their operations, which do more harm than good. Outdated dental practice applications might result in a faulty treatment plan, problems with the cost or time management procedures, or even increased downtime. On the other hand, using updated software and the latest technologies in dental offices can result in patient satisfaction, efficient processes, and quick services. 

A managed IT service for dentists ensures that a dental practice uses industry-approved and latest dental practice software. They regularly update systems and install tools that can make dental procedures quicker and smoother.

Better Email Administration and Marketing 

According to reports and experts, email marketing is one of the most effective ways to connect with a target audience. Email administration and marketing enable even sectors like dental care to reach out to their patients and discuss the required details. A general IT service for dental practices handles email administration alongside. 

They help dental practitioners send emails to their loyal patients, letting them know about deals, discounts, the importance of dental care, or any newly-introduced service. Dental IT services and support help dental offices build better patient relationships. 

Get General IT Services for Dental Practices in Texas

Managed IT services for dentists allow dental facilities to improve their daily operations, audit their existing processes, reduce their costs in the long run, and build a better connection with their patients. Foris IT Management provides top-rated dental IT services in Texas. Their support team provides cloud backup for your dental office, allowing you to keep data secure. 

Additionally, their services offer IT support for dentists by handling customer support and email administration. Their dental IT services also assess your IT systems regularly, reducing downtime. Their top-rated dental IT services are available 24/7 to handle any IT system errors that might occur in your dental clinic. 

Reach out to them or book a free consultation before getting general IT services for dental practices in Texas. 

About the Author 

The author is an IT expert who has been providing dental IT services for the past 5 years. She is affiliated with Foris IT Management and has helped multiple dental offices optimize their operations by providing IT support for dentists.