Most of us will admit that our workflow could use some improvement. Maybe we can designate different tasks to different people; maybe we can rearrange our schedules a bit; and maybe we can automate some processes that simply take way too long, which would give us more time to focus on other tasks. If you are wondering about ways to improve the workflow at your dental office, then look no further.

Tip #1: Reconsider How Your Team Multi-tasks

Multi-tasking used to be an asset we all looked for in our team members, but the connotation of “multitasking” has changed. Working on multiple tasks at the same time has been proven time and again to be messy and inefficient. 

A revised method of multi-tasking would be to distinguish between what is important and what is urgent. What is urgent should always be done first. What is important can wait a little bit, at least until it becomes urgent. Another way to improve your dental office’s multitasking is by juggling related tasks as opposed to completely different tasks, which leads to our next tip...

Tip #2: Implement Time Blocks

Time blocks refer to blocks of time in which your team members focus on one kind of task. Maybe you focus only on dental fillings, or only on cosmetic dental procedures. Maybe your front desk receptionist focuses on billing for said time block. The good thing about time blocks is that they are fully customizable to what suits the individual or the team and can be adjusted as needed. Once the team is used to their time blocks, you will all notice a weight has lifted off your shoulders and everyone is far more focused and efficient.

Tip #3: Automate the Time-Consuming Task of Capturing Dental Braces Progress Images With OrthoPhoto

There are plenty of different mobile apps for dentists, each of which is designed to make them more efficient and improve the patient’s experience. OrthoPhoto is the newest dentist app, which allows dentists to take clinical digital images of their orthodontic patients. Instead of taking photos, uploading them, cropping them, and placing them into a slideshow–which takes a lot of time–OrthoPhoto App automatically does it with the snap of the smartphone camera.

The mobile application automatically places the images in the correct order and into a template that organizes them in the proper crop, which is then saved to the corresponding patient’s file. Dentists who treat braces patients no longer need to work after-hours to sort through clinical braces progress images. Download it today on the App Store, free for a limited time only.

There are many smartphone applications that are becoming available on a daily basis for both work and entertainment. In fact, there are even a few mobile applications out there that are specifically designed to be used by dentists, and OrthoPhoto App is one of them. Here is how dentists that offer dental braces and Invisalign can benefit from OrthoPhoto.

OrthoPhoto Was Thought of by a Dentist, For Dentists

Dr. Kathy Nguyen, a practicing dentist in Houston, has long experienced and witnessed the need for an easier way for dentists to track their patients’ braces progress. She would often tell her husband that she wished there was some kind of mobile application for dentists that could capture, organize, and store the clinical images they take throughout a patient’s braces or Invisalign treatment. 

Dr. Nguyen, her husband, and his business partner envisioned, designed, and developed OrthoPhoto to allow dentists all over the United States to save time and focus on more important things. OrthoPhoto has since improved the workflow at Dr. Nguyen’s office, and it’s time for other braces dentists to experience the same.

OrthoPhoto Helps Dentists Save Time and Put Family First

Without OrthoPhoto, busy dentists have to upload countless photos, crop them, put them in a slideshow format, and send them via email. On average, a single patient may take 15 minutes, so multiple patients quickly amount to extra work after-hours and less time with loved ones.

As a dentist app, OrthoPhoto has automated the long, tedious process of capturing and organizing braces progress images. Rather than relying on an expensive and specific braces camera and spending 15 minutes (or more) per patient, dentists can take their clinical images right on the application–leave it to OrthoPhoto to do the rest. The application automatically places the braces progress photos into a template with the correct crop, size, and order and then places them in a specific patient’s file. 

As a mom to young children herself, Dr. Nguyen believes that dentists should be able to go home on time, relax, and enjoy spending quality time with their families. Now, dentists can have it all–they can dedicate more time to providing quality care to their patients, giving them healthy, beautiful smiles, while also going home early enough to spend time with loved ones and make more memories. Download it on the App Store today.

Technology is ever-evolving, giving us humans a reason to always want it and need it. Technology makes our jobs easier and even helps us do our job better than ever, so there is no doubt that dental offices can greatly benefit from updating their technology. Here are a few of the latest trends in dental technology that are worth keeping up with.

Dentists Are Going Digital

Not only are more and more dentists enforcing a paperless system of practice and patient management, but they are also using digital technology to aid in their procedures. More specifically, they are turning to 3D dental printers. These 3D dental printers enable dentists to create custom clear aligners, as well as veneers or crowns. Utilizing 3D printing helps cut production costs while also providing faster, yet high-quality service to your patients.

In line with turning to digital technology, many dentists are using intraoral scanners to complete dental impressions which are key to all major procedures. With this method, patients become far more comfortable and the process is much quicker, allowing dentists to move onto the more complex stages of certain treatments. Just because this scanner is quicker, though, does not mean anyone is sacrificing quality. As intraoral scanners are improved upon, they are able to provide precise measurements and shading to ensure each impression is as accurate as possible.

Dentists Are Becoming More Eco-Friendly

Ecofriendliness is a trend across many different industries, which is good because it means more people are doing their part in protecting our planet. Dentists can take advantage of this as well by incorporating more natural and eco-friendly dental products into their practice. Many dentists still give their patients a goody bag after their appointment. This bag usually has a new toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste. These can all be replaced for more environmentally conscious alternatives, which may be appealing for future patients.

Smartphones In The Workplace

Perhaps the emergence of smartphones has something to do with why technology is advancing quickly. Every day, more applications become available for smartphones, and websites become more mobile compatible. However, the applications you download do not have to be exclusive to your personal life. 

OrthoPhoto Dentist App for iOS and Android

Envisioned by dentist Kathy Nguyen, OrthoPhoto App is a smartphone application for dentists that redefines how they take braces progress photos of their patients. Rather than relying on a specific braces camera, uploading the images, cropping them, placing them in a slide show, and manually sorting them into patient files, dentists can now take their patients’ clinical images right on their mobile phone. 

The application automates this process. After dentists capture the relevant clinical photos, OrthoPhoto automatically places them into a template that organizes them in the correct format (crop, size, order) and places them in the designated patient file to help you save more time and become more efficient. 

It is never too late to modernize your dental office. In fact, since it’s still early in the year, there couldn’t be a better time to do so. Now more than ever it is absolutely necessary that your dental practice be modern to make it all the more convenient for your patients, simply because an outdated and inefficient experience will only encourage your patients to look for dental services elsewhere. Here are just some of our favorite tips to help modernize your office and subsequently create a better patient experience.

Tip 1: Spend Less Time Calling

Your adult patients are busy and they are the ones who need to be contacted for their own appointments, as well as for their kids’ appointments. In the past, dental offices would call their patients to remind them of an upcoming appointment. Today, it is much more efficient to send automated reminder text messages because the recipient can just respond Y for YES or N for NO, and with smartphones, it is very easy to click the date and time in a message and set up a calendar event. Your receptionist won’t have to worry about playing phone tag and your patients won't have to worry about forgetting their appointments in the midst of their busy life.

Tip 2: Upgrade Your Waiting Room

One of the easiest ways to give your dental office a modern look is to simply update its appearance. First impressions matter and the first impression any of your new patients get will build up in their mind seconds upon walking in. It's a great idea to update your furniture and do some paint touch-ups. You may consider investing in new, comfier couches and chairs, a new center table, some art, plants, and even accent pillows. In addition to making your reception area look newer, a comfier, more thoughtful setup may help some patients feel less anxious.

Tip 3: Invest in Dental Practice Management Software

Almost synonymous with modernization is going paperless. Not only does this make your practice more modern, but as a bonus, it also makes your dental office much more efficient. Going paperless can take a while, but purchasing and learning how to utilize a user-friendly management software saves time and keeps your team organized when it comes to storing and locating patient records, billing, and booking appointments.

Tip 4: Transition From a Camera to OrthoPhoto Dental App

Traditionally, dentists and orthodontists use a digital camera to capture clinical images of their patients’ braces progress. After they take the pictures, though, doctors have to spend extra hours after their last patient leaves for the day in order to upload the images, crop them, place them in a slideshow template, and sort them into specific albums and then patient files.

OrthoPhoto, which is available on the App Store and will soon be available for Android, automates this process so that dentists can manage their clinical images in a fraction of the time. Using your iPhone, you can take your patients’ braces images right on the application. It automatically places the images into a template that formats them correctly into their respective patient albums.