Technology is always evolving and every day it is becoming a bigger part of our lives. This is especially true in the dental industry. Using new technologies in your dental office is very important to providing the best care possible for your patients. Incorporating technology on the front end, during the planning stages of a new office, is much easier than retrofitting existing spaces. If you are planning a new dental office, there are a few specific technological innovations that should be considered before construction begins.
Integration is vital when using technology in your dental office. Planning technology into your new office will help you maximize its impact. Monitors in operatories are a great example of how integration makes everything work more smoothly. Planning spaces into your cabinets for monitors will eliminate stray cables that can get in the way and cause an eyesore.
Another essential integration in today’s dental office is the construction of a server closet. A server closet would hold all important electronics: network hardware, stereo system components, and phone components to name a few. Consolidating electronics in one place is very important because it eliminates the clutter of electrical systems spaced throughout the office. They will also be housed in a location that is out of the way of daily activities and will reduce the likelihood of damage.
You may also look into digitizing more aspects of your office. Digital x-ray machines are much more efficient. There will be much less paperwork that needs to be stored because the x-rays can be saved to a computer instead of on paper. They also use much less radiation and therefore are healthier for patients.
Digitizing patient records is another way to go digital. Having records a mouse click away will make your office run more efficiently because time is not wasted sorting through files of patient records. If you plan on going to digital records now or in the near future, you may want to consider reducing the size of your patient records storage area and instead invest more space in your server closet.
Technology can be a great aid in your dental practice. However, at its roots, dentistry is a hands-on practice. Technology should assist you to provide the greatest care to your patients and not become something that you are completely dependent upon. With that being said, technology should be carefully considered and will likely have a large impact on the shape of your new office.
