Dentally, the dental software revolution

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Dentally is an exciting UK-based healthcare technology company which provides cloud-based dental software.

Designed to help manage your dental practice, Dentally enables the provision of excellent patient care from anywhere with an internet connection. And here's how.

The company NJ Technologies Ltd’s story started in 2011 with Nick and James founding it originally as small business IT support across multiple industries, including dental. After a couple of years of extensive research into exactly what dentists want from their dental system, establishing a gap between dentists' needs and what they are provided with, the product Dentally was launched in early 2014.

Initially not more than a database with a huge road-map of the direction to go, Dentally has expanded dramatically to practices across the UK and worldwide, in a short space of time. Countries Dentally currently operates in includes the UK, Ireland, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kenya and Bahrain with more in the pipeline.

Taking advantage of more recent advances in technology, Dentally is enabling dental practices to leave alone the more complex aspects of IT, to focus on dentistry and patients themselves.

What are the key advantages of switching to Dentally?

Moving your dental practice to the cloud provides many benefits which are not provided with the older, server-based solutions. Some of the most widely enjoyed ones are:

You don't need an expensive server on-site

The days of needing to run an expensive and power-hungry dedicated server are over. In a cloud-based dental software system it is our remote servers that are taking the brunt of the work instead. This means there is no need to fork a 4 figure sum on a top-of-the-range server to sit in your cupboard or storeroom in the practice.

In turn, being cloud-based means less stress on your in-surgery computers, so you can use less expensive machines around the practice as well.

If you already have a server, you can still get great use out of it, but when you come to replacing it, you can simply replace it with a normal PC instead. Or if it is a dedicated machine (exists purely for your data and other PC's), you can just throw it out when it tires. Data you wish to store such as radiographs and files can be shared across the practice machines' hard-drives instead. We also give you online storage space to gain access to your uploaded documents / radiographs from anywhere

Access from anywhere for management with no need to network the practice

As Dentally is light to run over the internet, some practices choose to avoid wiring cable throughout the whole building.

Cabling the practice does provide benefits, such as file sharing between machines, and providing a wired connection to the internet which is more stable, however for new practices looking to get off the ground and build their books, this is one more expense which can be saved. Longer term we recommend the practice is cabled for the above reasons, it can just be one less thing to worry about initially.

As a true cloud-based solution, Dentally’s internet requirements are are low as 1mbs download (very slow by today’s standards). This means that you can gain access to the system with full performance from wherever you are. Whether inside the practice or outside of it. This extra freedom doesn’t compromise security, as you can limit access for staff between certain times, limit access to only certain IP addresses as well as plenty more security features such as 2 factor authentication.

This means that Dentally meets and exceeds all requirements from the CQC, when it comes to keeping data safe.

Smaller hardware requirements & freedom to choose your Operating System

Being cloud-based means you can choose your machine and your operating system. Want to use Windows 10? No problem. How about Windows 7? Sure thing. Oh, you like Apple and want to use a Mac? Sounds great, just plug it in. If there is split opinion in the practice, each person can use their personal preference and still get the same great performance.

Our hardware requirements are also tiny, so generally any device running Windows 7-10 with 4GB of RAM is sufficient for our requirements. Or Mac OS X El Capitan or above if you are an Apple fan.
If you wish for higher then that is great, we’ll certainly not discourage this, however if keeping costs down is a priority you can save significantly here. Cloud-based dental software works for your practice and preferences, rather than the other way around.

No interference when updating Operating System

As a cloud-based solution, a Windows / Mac update does not interact with Dentally at all. This means you will never come across unexpected issues when you update your server, or find yourself locked out whilst the update kicks in.

Dentally push out system updates not far off daily. Lots of micro updates mean that the systems landscape never changes too dramatically in a short period of time, leading to a simple progression of features and functionality.To install the most recent version, all a user has to do is refresh their browser. No downtime, no restarting PC’s or servers, less messing about.

Practice hardware becomes easily replaceable

The most common cause of data loss to dental practices is hardware failure, while the second most common is data theft. If your dental software is cloud-based, your machines do not hold your data, so your machines become easily replaceable.

Many practices look at dropping expensive hardware maintenance when switching to Dentally. This is because if a machine fails, the replacement can be at the practice straight from Amazon 1 day later. It also means there is no charge to install Dentally on the new PC, as you do not need to install Dentally at all - instead just run from any devise with Google Chrome installed.

Managed and tested data backups as standard

No more rotating external hard-drives or data tapes. Cloud-based software is backed up automatically multiple times a day. We also test the backups for you too. This means that you never have to worry about managing your data, or take the time out of your day to do so ever again.

Increased security

Security is at the heart of cloud computing and far safer than a server locked in the practice storeroom. We take a wide variety of measures to give you increased flexibility and enhanced security.

Two main causes of data loss are hardware failure and hardware theft. With Dentally (and any cloud-based solution for that matter) you are completely protected from both. It is our role as IT professionals to protect your data as part of the service, so you have less to worry about regarding the IT infrastructure. Instead of the windows, door and lock protecting your data on the server, we are talking about some of the best engineers in the world, with 24/7 protection, implementing the most modern and state-of-the-art protection possible.

Improved quality of life

With Dentally or any other cloud-based dental software you can access your information from any location. All you need is a computer and internet access. This means no more late nights in order to work the books, you can order your work life around the rest of your life. You get the same performance from within the surgery as you do from outside it. Giving you more time to focus on the other aspects of your life that matter.

If the system is internet-based, what happens if I lose internet?

One of the most common questions we are asked, is that if the practice is not relying on a server to run the dental system, what happens when the internet drops?

In the rare case that you lose your connection to the internet in your practice, the great news is that it is still very simple to use Dentally.

One of the most common ways to overcome this is to set your phone up as a data hotspot (Settings > Connections > mobile hotsport an tethering on an Android). This uses your 3G / 4G data connection, and means your mobile phone emits a WiFi signal for your devices to connect to. You can connect to this WiFi on your PC and off you go.

If you've never done this before, in essence what it means is that your phone omits a WiFi signal through 3G/4G and you will be able to connect your laptop or computer to the internet through your mobile. Most phones come with the ability to hotspot these days but you might want to check that your providers allow you to do it. Similar results can be achieved with a USB data dongle available from any network provider and a pay as you go plan for an emergency.

Of course, if hot spotting doesn't sound like your thing and you want more peace of mind we also recommend having a backup router. A backup router can be wired or wireless but the basics of what happens is that if your main router loses access to the internet and stops broadcasting, then the backup router receives a signal that internet is no longer broadcasting and instantly starts it's own signal.

This happens so quickly that the user rarely even notices that something has gone wrong. If you choose a wireless router, it works much like a hotspot on your mobile - it runs off a sim card that you insert into the router but with the advantage that it starts up if your main router goes down.

Of course you can still use the system in its entirety from home, or anywhere else you happen to be with a WiFi connection! So this means that even if all electricity is out at the practice, your equipment won't work but at least you can use a battery powered devise inform your patients with Dentally.

In conclusion

So there you go! Hopefully this post should leave you feeling informed and empowered. If Dentally sounds like what your business is missing, then we would recommend that you see it in action for yourself.

Request a demo - As a remote company, we provide more online demonstrations than face to face, although both are an option. Please feel free to get in contact with any questions you may have, as we can provide you with more personally tailored information in line with the requirements for your business.

Access our sandbox - Something which can also help - we can also set you loose with a fake dental practice, populated with fake patients and appointments too. This is known as our sandbox account, and is so you can explore the system at your leisure, without consequences and before making your decision.

Get in touch - We’re more than happy to have a chat! Call 020 3856 5610 or email hello@dentally.co with details of your practice and what you need from us, in order to find out more.