Avoid Falling for These 6 IT Support Myths in Your Dental Practice

Remember when computers and the internet were new to your dental practice? If so, then you have seen how fast technology continues to evolve and how hard it can be to keep up with at your practice. If you have been relying on computers and the internet your entire life, then you are lucky to have eased into the digital world we now live in. This fast advancement in technology has created many myths along the way, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and dental IT support. Let’s get started on debunking the top 6 myths we hear, here at Medix.

MYTH #1: IT isn’t important to my dental practice

If you have the internet, computers, printers, or imaging equipment then IT and the support thereof is very important to you and your dental practice. Whether you are tech-savvy or not, you should make IT a top priority, especially since the trend of cyber-criminals targeting dental practices currently has no end in sight.

If your printer were to break down, more than likely you can find a workaround until it’s up and running again. If you get hit with a ransomware attack leaving your practice inoperable, can you really afford to take that risk? A broken printer is one thing, a ransomware attack is not only a detriment to your practice but also your bank account. Let’s see if you really can afford this risk by moving on to our next myth . . .

MYTH #2: IT support is too expensive

Dental technology is an investment that you should protect to ensure the security of your patient’s trust and personal information. If you are currently managing IT support in-house through various team members, then it’s an expense you are already paying – whether you realize it or not.

Most of the time in-house IT support is tasked to the doctor or the office manager. We have found neither of the two, typically, has intensive knowledge in this area resulting in major disruption to their primary work roles when a problem does occur and leaves the practice completely vulnerable to an attack. Whereas industry experts like us can protect your practice more effectively and efficiently, giving you back valuable time to serve new and current patients.

Next, let’s review the total cost of a breach . . .

• The cost to recover from a breach is $429 per patient*
• The value of losing life-long patients along with potential new patients for a while should be taken into consideration. To calculate an estimate of your average patient’s lifetime revenue, take your average annual production revenue and divide it by your total number of patients.
• With the average breach lifecycle being 279 days*, be sure to add in your valuable time that would be required to resolve this issue. What is your hourly rate?

Add the above bullets together and you now have an estimate of what it would cost you to recover from a data breach. If you are not willing to take this risk and want to know how secure your practice is currently, we’re happy to analyze your practice’s cybersecurity and provide feedback.

MYTH #3: Outsourced IT support = reduced quality of service

There are many benefits to outsourcing your dental IT support and several of those benefits actually improve the quality of customer service you receive. Here are a few ways you benefit when outsourcing your dental IT needs . . .

• Remote workers are less disruptive to your daily workflow. We log in remotely to fix any issues that may arise, you don’t have to supervise us in the office. In addition, we utilize instant messaging, enabling easy communication that you can jump in and out of as you serve patients.
• Another benefit of outsourcing IT support is that our support team is in one central location. This allows for seamless communication between Medix team members to pass along knowledge to each other and reach out to our top-tiered IT support team members in seconds. While you are paying for one service, you are getting a team of over fifteen highly skilled dental IT experts with your Medix partnership.
• Our business model is built on scaling to serve our partners. This means if you decide to grow your business, we are ready when you are.

Remember that change is good, especially when it comes with additional benefits. Face-time with a vendor doesn’t equal great quality service. Plus, we are on-site during the installation process and are more than willing to make a special trip if an issue requires.

MYTH #4: I have to outsource ALL my IT needs

While this is a myth, we want to state that we prefer that you outsource all your IT support needs. With that said, we feel you should know that you have options. The main difference when partially outsourcing your dental IT support needs is reactive vs. proactive support.

Reactive IT support

Think of reactive IT support as a break and fix support. An issue occurs so you reach out to your IT provider to fix it. Depending on how often IT support is needed, this may be a cheaper option for you. But keep in mind, cheaper isn’t always better. Reactive support leaves you vulnerable to cyber-attacks, takes up staff’s time, and eventually will be very expensive as your technology/software gets out of date.

Proactive IT support

Proactive support is anticipating issues and remedying them ahead of time causing a more efficient and streamlined workflow. We proactively fix little incidents before they grow into larger problems.

IT providers typically provide different levels of proactive support. Here at Medix, we have two main levels – Essentials and Onyx. To learn more about our two partner levels, fill out this form and we will reach out shortly with more information.

MYTH #5: Buying your own equipment will save you money

This is a tricky statement, but it is a myth and here’s why:

• Getting the right equipment is more work and time on your part.
• The brands we choose, we have thoroughly vetted and are chosen to work with dental equipment. The equipment you buy will more than likely take longer to prep.
• If it does take us longer to prep, then this will push out your installation date.
• Lastly, future servicing could take longer.

As you see, buying your own equipment isn’t a guaranteed saving. Save yourself the hassle and let the IT gurus do the equipment shopping.

MYTH #6: When outsourcing IT, the location of the company matters

As long as the company can support your needs during your business hours, in your time zone – this is a myth. Depending on where you are located, you might not have a dental IT support specialist in your area. Outsourcing your IT needs allows for you to find the best team for your specific needs that fits your internal culture.

BONUS MYTH: My old technology works, so it’s good enough

When your equipment reaches three to four years old, it is time for an upgrade. Even if your equipment appears to be working adequately, we have found that after 5 years technology does not work the same as it once did. It’s general industry knowledge that around this time equipment starts to fail, causing you to invest in fixes and repairs. With technology companies constantly advancing hardware, it’s strategic to plan to upgrade your equipment around year four. Planning and preparing to upgrade to new equipment will minimize practice downtime and can be scheduled a convenient time for you.

If you come across a potential myth in the future and want to know the truth, we are here as a resource for you – feel free to contact us at (877) 885-1010, team@medixdental.com.

*According to an IBM Commissioned Report.

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