Best Dental Practice Management Software

What You Should Know About Dental Practice Management Software

Dentists rely on technology on a daily basis. For example, they need to when leveraging hardware to X-ray and analyze the makeup of their patients’ mouths when creating a treatment plan. Dentists, like other health care professionals, are also strapped for time. They’re always looking for ways to optimize processes, reduce wait time, and spend less time on manual administrative work.

This is where dental practice management software comes into play. The software is usually comprehensive, centralizing all the distinct elements of a dentist’s office and providing integration with necessary but usually standalone solutions so that dentists can focus on providing care instead of running an office.

By leveraging effective dental practice management software, dentists can increase the number of patients they see and overall practice revenue. Some dental practice management solutions even offer marketing functionalities, whether that’s facilitating the creation of a practice website, sending e-newsletters, or even optimizing SEO.

Key Benefits of Dental Practice Management Software

• Simplification and optimization of dentist practices
• Safe and secure maintenance, storage, and organization of patient dental records
• Improvement of clinical communication and documentation
• Improvement of overall patient experience

Who Uses Dental Practice Management Software?

Dentists, office administrators, and patients use dental practice management software. Patients access it when interacting with any booking functionality or method of appointment reminder. Dentists and dental assistants use the clinical aspect of dental practice management software, its database features and any integrations. Office administrators use the administrative aspect of dental practice management software to optimize daily operational processes and workflows.

Dental Practice Management Software Features

Dental practice management software can satisfy a variety of clinical and administrative needs. Common dental practice management software features include:

Clinical Documentation — Dentists and dental assistants must accurately and efficiently chart and take notes. Digitized and automated charts and other forms of clinical documentation facilitate their secure storage and organization, as well as support integrated clinical workflows. Neither dentists nor office admin need to dig through messy paper files with potentially misplaced documentation.

Appointment Scheduling — With built-in appointment scheduling, dental practice management software encourages office efficiency. Patients benefit from the simplified appointment scheduling functionality that dental practice management software promises. The software can streamline the entire appointment scheduling process for both patients and physicians, thanks to the visibility that either an online appointment scheduling tool or patient portal provides. Appointment scheduling functionality can also simplify the overall patient registration process.

Staff Scheduling — On the flip side of appointment scheduling, dental practice management software optimizes staff scheduling practices. The software can set up color coding or other customizations to easily breakdown the responsibilities of the dentist. The software also promotes and ensures smooth practice processes by making very clear who is working with which patient, what procedures are happening or upcoming, and other important information for each day’s schedule.

Billing — Dental practice management software eases the financial operations of the practice. The software allows practices to automate the calculating and sending of invoices to patients and streamline claim submissions.

Patient Records — In the same way that hospitals use electronic health records, dental practices generate and depend on dental health records. Dental health records must be kept up to date in order to accurately and efficiently deliver care. Dental practice management software facilitates that. Additionally, cloud-based dental practice management software enables remote access of patient records, should the dentist or dental assistant need it.

Additional Dental Practice Management Features

Customer Support — Dentists don’t necessarily expect to run a practice in addition to their daily tasks. Customer support, then, is important so that dentists can continue to provide a high-quality level of service, please customers, and not waste time on fixing errors or finding workarounds for a faulty solution.

Security and Compliance — Dental practices must remain compliant with HIPAA regulations. That means that any and all patient records must remain in compliance and any operational processes must be updated regularly to avoid incurring fees. Encryption and data security measures are crucial to keep sensitive patient data safe. Look for dental practice management software that provide a wide range of security measures to fit any scenario.

Trends Related to Dental Practice Management Software

The general consensus for why dentists adopt dental practice management solutions is so their practice can become efficient. However, dental practice operations are becoming impacted by the need to competitively distinguish themselves for patients. Practices are becoming interested in leveraging technology that helps them automate daily processes in order to better and more quickly service their patients. Below are a few trends within the dental practice management sector.

AI-Infused Technology — Artificial intelligence (AI) makes dental software smarter. The infusion of AI into aspects of dental practice management software reaps so many benefits: enhanced scheduling, optimized patient communication, productive interoperability between clinical and administrative sides of the business, and even optimized dental staffing.

Stronger Integration with Digital Imaging — Dental practice management software is made up of a clinical and administrative database and digital imaging functionality. Most dental practice management platforms include a digital imaging feature, but some still require a third-party integration. Increasing integration with digital imaging tools results in a better physician-patient experience and relationship. The integration also promises more accurate treatment planning and reduction of wasteful clinical practices.

Mobile Technology — Health care practices of every specialty are partaking in HIPAA-compliant text messaging and email practices. People are on their mobile devices every day and respond better to convenient modes of communication. Why go through the slog of calling a dental practice and leaving a voicemail to schedule an appointment, when software exists to streamline the entire scheduling process, from request to reminder to in-person intake? Couple HIPAA-compliant messaging with telemedicine solutions, and mobile technology has revamped the patient experience realm.

Online Reputation Management — Customer feedback practices are weaving their way into the health care sector, and dental practices must have strategies in place to address or capitalize on public-facing patient feedback. Some dental practice management solutions include reputation management or social media monitoring functionalities, but most do not as of yet. Solutions that bill themselves as "all in one" are recognizing the need for bundled reputation management features or streamlining integrations for standalone tools.

Potential Issues with Dental Practice Management Software

Dental practice management software doesn’t solve every single problem within a dental practice. Pain points can arise from poorly implemented practice management software or from any inefficiencies that crop up post-deployment.

Need to Digitize — A chartless practice is different than a paperless office. Both, however, require digital copies of patient and clinical records. That, in turn, requires the dental practice to embark on the digitization journey. This is a huge undertaking, one that will result in great advantage (for example: easing access to and sharing of patient records and compliance with regulation and litigation) but requires a large investment from the dental practice.

Get to the Cloud — Server-based practice management solutions still exist and remain popular. Despite cloud-based software providing physicians with more flexibility when it comes to remote management, integration possibilities, and data storage, on-premise options flourish because of security implications. Issues arise when practices want to switch from a legacy system to a more modern one, and admin must identify and anticipate every potential cost.

Interoperability — Even the most comprehensive dental practice management software may need an integration with a supplemental, third-party solution. Practice management software that refuses or makes it very difficult for users to connect their existing marketing tool, for example, will undeniably cause frustration post-implementation.

Too Many Functions — While buyers may be persuaded to go all-in on a practice management solution from a well-known industry brand, they’re not doing their practice any favors if the solution ends up being too comprehensive for their actual needs. Most dental practice management platforms don’t allow buyers to pick and choose their desired features, and those comprehensive platforms come with a hefty price tag.

Software and Services Related to Dental Practice Management Software

Dental Imaging — Dental imaging software is a necessary tool for dentists, because it provides them with the tool to take and store dental X-rays. Some dental practice management platforms offer built-in dental imaging tools, but the majority of them integrate with fine-tuned digital imaging solutions.

Billing — Billing and invoicing features are generally bundled into the dental practice management platform. However, some dental practice management solutions offer integration with third-party billing tools, which are more general invoicing and payment notification solutions.

Online Appointment Scheduling — Providing patients with the ability to book their future appointments online offers them convenience. Dental practice management’s online booking features allow office administrators and dental physicians to have full visibility into upcoming appointments, any no-shows or reschedules, and even staff schedules.