Resources
Practical guidance for your practice’s technology.
Straightforward checklists and answers to common dental IT questions, for reviewing your systems or planning your next change.
Checklists for common decisions.
Questions to ask about your backups
A backup copy is only useful if it can restore what your practice needs.
- What is backed up, including imaging data stored outside the practice management database.
- Where copies are stored, both in the office and offsite or in the cloud.
- When recovery was last tested, and what that test covered.
- Which systems must return first after a failure.
- How your team would keep working during an interruption.
Having a backup copy is not the same as having a workable recovery plan. Knowing these answers helps you understand how your practice would actually recover.
Backup & Disaster RecoveryPreparing to switch IT providers
A careful handover starts with knowing what needs to transfer.
- Confirm who controls administrative access to servers, workstations, the firewall, and Wi-Fi.
- Identify who manages your domain, email, and Microsoft 365 accounts.
- Gather contacts for your software and equipment vendors.
- Find out where important data is stored, including imaging and shared files.
- Plan how backup and security coverage will continue during the handoff.
Passwords and system credentials should be transferred through a secure method agreed with your new provider, not through ordinary email or website forms.
Existing PracticesPlanning technology for a new office
Early decisions affect wiring, power, and the way your team works every day.
- Involve your IT partner as soon as you have an initial floor plan.
- Decide where computers, monitors, TVs, Wi-Fi access points, and cameras will go.
- Choose the IT closet location and plan its space, power, and ventilation.
- Run network, video, and speaker wiring before the walls close.
- Coordinate technology requirements with your architect, builder, electrician, and equipment vendors.
The goal is to coordinate technology with the actual layout, not to discover missing connections after construction.
Dental Startup SolutionsCommon questions
Can we switch IT providers without disrupting our practice?
A careful handover starts with documenting your systems, access, vendors, and backups. We’ll discuss what needs to transfer and plan changes around your appointments. The details depend on your current setup.
Can you help with dental software and imaging?
DPS supports dental software and digital imaging workflows, including troubleshooting connections between computers, scanners, and imaging systems. We can help coordinate with the relevant vendor when a problem spans multiple products.
How does IT support our HIPAA compliance efforts?
Technical safeguards such as access controls, secure email, endpoint protection, and backups support your broader compliance efforts. Compliance also involves your practice’s policies, training, risk assessments, and ongoing oversight.
Should we contact our IT provider before buying new dental equipment?
Yes. Reviewing the vendor’s IT requirements before purchase or installation can help identify workstation, network, storage, and compatibility needs.
Have a question we did not answer?
Tell us about your practice and what you are trying to figure out. We are happy to talk it through.