We’re seeing that happen today in dental offices. When information is migrated from analog to digital form, the workflow transformation often extends far beyond replacing old, manual processes with identical, albeit computerized processes. Instead, the processes themselves change.

A primary reason for this: digital information is flexible and portable.

Anywhere, Anytime
Take digital images, for example. When a patient photograph is in analog form—captured on a slide or a film negative and then processed as a print—you need to go to it to view it. But when a photograph is in digital form, it can come to you. Sit down at any computer on your office network, and you can call up your patient images. Or, if you take advantage of an Internet-based image archiving system, you can view your patient images from home, or any other remote location with Internet access.

And of course, this is only one facet of the imaging process. Digital imaging technology changes imaging processes from capture through output. You can view images immediately after capture. You can send them out electronically to insurers, referring doctors, laboratories and specialists with the click of a mouse. For virtually every step of the process, digital imaging offers automation and flexibility that simply isn’t possible with analog images.

Exploring the Possibilities
As digital technology evolves, dentists will find new ways to leverage this flexibility.

Take Kodak’s new digital camera kit, for example. The new Kodak DX6490 Digital Camera Kit System includes many of the same features of Kodak’s popular DX4900 model, such as a distance guide and positioning grid, to help ensure consistent and predictable coloring as well as standardized magnification ratios.

But with its latest product offering, Kodak also includes the Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock 6000. This configuration takes the functionality of the last camera’s EasyShare Dock (the ability to quickly download images to a computer or network, while recharging the camera batteries) and adds a new function: the ability to generate professional quality dye sublimation prints directly from the camera.

It’s a perfect illustration of how digital data can support an endless variety of processes. How do you want to use your patient images? If you’re using dental practice management or image management software, you’ll sometimes send your images to a patient records database in digital form. But what if you want to generate a print, at the point of capture, to hand to your patient? With the right set-up, you can. Digital technology not only makes it possible but easy.

Looking for Digital Opportunities
Some of digital’s flexibility is inherent in the technology design. In the above example, it took a piece of specialized hardware for Kodak’s camera to support localized printing.

But in other cases, it’s in the dentist’s hands. Digital technology offers potential opportunities to improve patient care, become more efficient in communications and to realize other practice goals. The key is to innovate or recognize those opportunities.

As you digitize your practice, therefore, it’s useful to make an objective review of your practice’s processes. For example, have you retained some “ways of doing things” for no real reason—other than that’s how you’ve always done them?

Here are some ideas for ways you can evaluate your practice as you migrate to digital.

Why are you doing what you do? Sometimes, examining office procedures reveals that, thanks to digital technology, they aren’t necessary any more.

For example, once a practice computerizes its patient records, why not strive for the paperless office and eliminate patient charts altogether? Patient information can be pulled up on a computer screen as needed. Filing, refiling and misfiling are thereby eliminated.

Patients no longer need to fill out paper forms: they can respond to questions directly on the computer or answer questions that are recorded by the office staff. If a patient’s signature is needed, it can be handled using an e-pad device.

Some practices using technology to its fullest potential no longer maintain front office functions at all. Incoming patients are welcomed into a consultation studio or directly to the treatment room for information gathering and “checked out” from the treatment room, precluding a separately staffed front office process.

How are you using your auxiliary staff? One of the great things about digital technology is that it can make some jobs easier to do. The Kodak DX6490 Dental Digital Camera Kit System is a great example of this. It comes with the Kodak Dental Digital Photography Guide which explains each step in the photography process. It focuses automatically within a standard magnification. The close-up lens is easy to attach and remove. It comes pre-configured for dental photography, so it doesn’t need a technical expert to set it up. The distance guide and positioning grid reduce the risk of framing mistakes.

All this adds up to a technology that anyone can use—even people who aren’t familiar with the art & science of photography. So, delegate your practice resources. Have an assistant, hygienist or even receptionist handle some, or all, of your image capture activities. Spend your time doing more profitable dental procedures.

Additional Uses for Digital Photography

Can you better leverage existing technology to improve patient care? An example would be using digital images to improve lab scripts: use an image of a patient’s smile or close up tooth to create a color map, instead of drawing a tooth and attempting to manually re-create gradations in color or other features.

Is it possible to further boost the level of professionalism of your practice? The technology is in place: are you exploiting its full potential?

For example, suppose you have begun taking photographs of all new patients. Are you using those photographs to help your staff match faces with patients and greet them by name the next time they walk into your office?

In addition, are you using your pre- and post-treatment or cosmetic simulations to show incoming patients the products and services your practice routinely provides? In the past, many dentists used purchased “canned” images to depict available procedures. It’s far better to use your own “art.” Patients will be more confident in you and more excited about the services you offer.

Is it possible to extend your digitization further to automate additional tasks? When practice images and data are in digital form, many fundamental tasks can be automated. But even after you’ve transferred the most obvious processes—like filing and retrieving patient records—to your computers, there may be additional opportunities to automate.

For example, the SoftDent dental practice management software application from PracticeWorks offers a module called Powercase that automatically populates PowerPoint treatment plan templates to customize them with patient information and images. This innovative and effective application enables a dentist to create a personalized treatment plan without spending time manually assembling and organizing images and data. It’s a great example of how software functionality adds new value to your digital data.

Conclusion
Investing in digital technology involves a measure of risk. But the fact is that the dentist has a large degree of control over that risk. By taking an objective look at the practice and fully leveraging the technology, a dentist can improve efficiency, build the practice and improve patient care. And the technology, in turn, pays for itself in an impressively short time—making a solid contribution to the practice bottom line.

Dr. David Gane is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with an honors degree in physiology and a doctorate degree in dental surgery. David has authored articles, videos and publications on digital imaging in dentistry and has lectured internationally on this topic. Dr. Gane has acted in the capacity of consultant to a number of universities and corporations. Currently he is Vice President of Dental Imaging for PracticeWorks Inc. a Kodak Company.


Dr. Benjamin P. Hornstein earned his DDS from CWRU Dental School. He is currently in private practice and is presently the CEO of The Center for Advanced Dentistry in Beachwood, Ohio. Dr. Hornstein has lectured across the country on various subjects including adhesive dentistry, setting up a concierge practice, digital photography, and has had the honor of developing and testing various dental products. He has completed the advanced training continuum at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute.