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Into the operatory

Patient education programs often work hand in hand with practice management software. Patterson’s CAESY software (caesy.com) is integrated with EagleSoft. Westendorf explains that the education modules are tied to specific services and the software tracks when individual patients have viewed them. Take-home materials for patients can be connected with specific procedures, and both Westendorf and Dr. Lavine say the high-end graphics found in patient education programs speed up patient understanding and acceptance of procedures.

A network of computers connecting the reception desk and the operatories allows quick communication, even during procedures. Westendorf says EagleSoft includes an “instant message” function that can be used for chatting between areas of the office. Scheduler notes are used to append information right on the schedule, and the software has the ability to let clinicians mark service codes for procedures while they are being performed so the reception desk can have everything ready for the patient as he or she is walking out of the office.

Digital imaging

Computers in the operatory really become timesavers when they’re combined with digital imaging systems. Dr. Lavine says intraoral cameras are already common and can be valuable patient education tools to show the patients exactly what the clinician sees. However, when it comes to imaging, Dr. Lavine calls digital x-rays “the number one area that people are focusing on” to make their practice more efficient. It’s quite simply a numbers game: Taking a full set of x-rays with film requires 15 to 20 minutes if nothing goes wrong; while a digital system can complete a set in about five minutes, and any errors can be quickly corrected. 

“Do that for six or seven patients during the day, and all of a sudden you’ve got room to fit in another patient,” Dr. Lavine says.

Jackie Raulerson, RDH, media manager for Dexis (dexis.com), Gendex (gendex.com) and Imaging Sciences (imagingsciences.com) knows the timesaving capabilities of digital x-ray systems from her 22 years as a practicing hygienist, first using film and then transitioning to digital. The Dexis system automates organizing a patient’s images, and allows users to look at the chronological history of a single tooth or a whole set. The large digital images can be used for patient education, and digital image enhancements can speed diagnoses.

Digital imaging can be used for more than just replacing film x-rays, and Dr. Lavine recommends CAD/CAM systems as a way to speed cosmetic and restorative procedures. There are many fast-acting impression materials that get things done more quickly than their predecessors, but Dr. Lavine notes, “It’s a paradigm shift from the old system of using impression materials. There’s no doubt you can scan quicker than you take an impression.”

Communications simplified

External communications also can be improved by taking advantage of online communication tools when working with labs, specialists and other dentists. Dr. Lavine recommends online services like DDS WebLink (ddsweblink.com) and Patient’s Count (patientscount.com) as effective Web-based communication tools. Raulerson notes the way digital imaging fits into the improved online communications model.

“You can attach (images) to claims and you don’t have to make copies,” she says. “While (a patient is) in the chair you can send the x-ray over to the endodontist and you can talk about the image right then and there.”

Continuing education

While adding new technologies and systems to a practice can bring new efficiencies on board, most practices can find ways to save time by improving use of what they already have. Dr. Lavine believes regular training of staff, whether it’s a full-day, half-day or a lunch-and-learn session, is the key to unlocking system potential. Training should be scheduled whenever a product update is installed, and staff should be cross-trained to understand some of what other staff members do. It also is important for the dentists to know the system better than anyone so capabilities are not lost if a staff member leaves a practice.

“It’s like anything in life; if you don’t use it a lot, you’re going to forget how to use it,” Dr. Lavine says.

Many systems provide free training for new users and in conjunction with updates for existing users. Patterson provides free phone training for new EagleSoft Practice Management users and conducts live Webinars on a regular basis for existing customers.

The real goal

For practices with a focus on efficiency, the quest to do things better is never ending. Calling it “the holy grail” of timesaving, Dr. Lavine looks ahead to the day when voice-activated data entry is perfected. This will keep the clinician from being tethered to the keyboard and mouse, making documentation and communication easier. Although computers can save a lot of time, Raulerson says, “If you can minimize the amount of interaction with the computer and get your job done, then that’s better, because your job is really dentistry.”

Noah Levine is an associated editor for Dental Products Report.

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