Look Before You Leap Dr. Lorne Lavine

Introduction

Look around Dentaltown.com, any trade show or local meeting and everyone is talking about digital x-ray technology. It is no longer a question of if; now it is a question of when you will make the switch. As you stand on the ledge of confusion preparing to leap, we have prepared case studies from the technology integration business of Dr. Lorne Lavine. Lorne has developed a great reputation on Dentaltown, and he opened a full time technology consulting business in Sherman Oaks, CA. These case studies are intended to illustrate the decisions and timelines involved in a digital x-ray upgrade. The stories you are about to read are real, but the names and locations have been changed to respect the privacy of Dr. Lavine’s clients.

Two cases will not match the individual needs of every dentist that reads this article, so we have provided a ‘decision tree’ (page 56) of questions for you to answer. As you will see, the answers narrow your choices and guide you to the equipment and networking solution that is best for your office. This information will provide invaluable guidance as you make your final selections for software and equipment to bring your office into the 21st Century.

Case Study: Cables and Computers in California

Dr. Paul Penny in Los Angeles, CA had come to a point where he wanted to upgrade his newly acquired office. As an associate, the practice owner had made all of the decisions. Now, though, the owner had handed over the reins to Dr. Penny, and he knew it was time to make some changes. He only had a couple of front desk computers, and one in his private office; there were no computers in the operatories. He called me after meeting on Dentaltown, and he was familiar with my company that assists offices all over North America with technology upgrades and installations. As a SoftDent user, the first choice he had to make was whether to keep everything in the SoftDent family. After reviewing the options and realizing that he didn’t want to be locked into Kodak products, he elected to use a third-party image program, Apteryx XrayVision. The next decision was how to add computers into the ops. He was able to find a good deal on Dell computers and being handy with cabling, elected to run the network cables himself. Finally, to choose a digital x-ray system, he decided that patient comfort and an easier transition from film was more important than the time to see the image, so he elected to purchase the Air Techniques ScanX system.

Timeline
May 2003    Contacted by Dr. Penny to upgrade his office to digital radiography
July 2003    Project started with computer installation and network set-up
May 2004    Apteryx imaging software and ScanX system installed
January 2005    Server upgrade as previously planned to improve performance of network and provide additional image storage

Please note the long timeline is recommended to allow time for staff to adjust to the addition of computers in the treatment rooms first, and then digital x-ray integration can be initiated.

Project costs
$30,000 for ScanX, Apteryx software, four computers, server and installation of hardware. Dr. Penny saved $2000 by running the network cables himself.

If Dr. Penny elected to use Kodak Imaging software and three sensors instead of ScanX and Apteryx software, the total package would have been $40,000.

Case Study: Analog in Arkansas

Dr. Kerry Klein is the “junior” member of a partnership in an Arkansas dental practice. The senior doctor had contacted local companies for quotes to upgrade, but he wanted to get more information. Dr. Klein and Dr. Leland heard about me on Dentaltown, and I was called in July 2005 to consult with their office. We evaluated many options over the course of six months. The office had no computers in the ops, so we needed to add seven new op computers, dual monitors for each, a new server, and image management. The office was using a film based pan, and they wanted to transition to a digital panorex. The first quote of $116,000 for their digital upgrade came from a local company; this was quite a bit more than they wanted to spend. We decided to go with Apteryx as it gave them more flexibility with the sensors and the digital pan. They found a buyer for their film pan, so the cost to upgrade to a new digital pan was offset by the proceeds from this transaction. Total cost from our firm was $75,000, plus the digital pan was an additional $20,000, so they were still under $100,000. The decision to go with Apteryx and third-party sensors saved the doctor around $20,000.

Timeline
July 2005    Visited office for initial consultation to determine needs
December 2005    Decision is made to hire Digital Technology Consultants
February 2006    Installation of the software and sensors

Note: This timeline initially appears to be very long, but it is not uncommon for an office to explore all of their options prior to making a large financial commitment to new equipment.

Project Costs
$95,000 for four e2v sensors, Apteryx software, seven operatory computers with dual monitors, server, Sirona digital panorex.

Alternate plan: $116,000 for four Dentrix sensors and Dentrix software, seven operatory computers with dual monitors, server, and Sirona digital panorex.

Conclusion

Please remember, that there is not a single “right,” “wrong,” or “best.” Each office is individual and needs to work through the different options appropriate to their specific needs. For many offices, it becomes an issue of integration vs. interoperability. In other words, if you stick with one company for all your hardware and software, you get a higher level of integration, but often at a higher price and less flexibility to add products not sold by that company. If you go with third-party image programs, you get a less costly option with flexibility to add systems from multiple vendors, but you don’t get the same level of integration as the single-company approach. Don’t be the last one on the ledge, make the leap to digital in 2006!

Note: It is nearly impossible to generate a chart that will address every situation. We have made an attempt to present the issues that must be answered in most cases. There are other programs and products on the market, but we cannot list all of them in this limited space. Consult your PMS company and dental dealer for additional information.