Investing in the latest technology can keep your dental practice competitive, innovative, and in tune with the latest market trends. However, planning a comprehensive IT budget is critical for prioritizing tech investments, spotting underused resources, and identifying maintenance needs.

Productivity and data security are typically among the top priorities of any dental practice. You'll want to handle patients' private medical information properly not only to ensure excellent service, but also to win your patients' trust and loyalty. Achieving this requires investment in proper IT resources, one of which is network monitoring — a service that boosts both system efficiency and ensures reliable patient care.

In a time where nearly every dental practice, regardless of size, runs on technology, it's no surprise that practice owners have partnered with outsourced dental IT service providers to help keep their offices up and running. Working with a team of experts whose sole focus is to manage and maintain your network means one less thing on your plate, giving you more time to focus on what's most important for your practice and patients.

Ransomware continues to be the most dangerous type of malware, with one in five businesses in the United States falling victim to an attack. For those who don’t know, ransomware is designed to block one’s access to a computer system until a specific sum of money is paid.

With the average cost of a data breach currently sitting at $3.86 million and brute force attacks soaring by 400% during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring a secure network is a must for your dental practice. Lost, tampered, or leaked patient data can significantly damage your practice’s reputation and patient trust.

Cloud computing provides on-demand services over the internet. These services include server, storage, networking, software, and data analytics services. Due to the cloud’s many benefits, many businesses in the United States leverage the technology in some capacity.

Phishing continues to be one of the most effective methods of cyberattack plaguing many dental practices today. Phishing refers to a technique that involves an outside entity gaining access to private networks or data with the assistance of someone with legitimate access to them, obtained through deception and social manipulation.

COVID forced many practices to put expenses like equipment or software upgrades on the back burner in order for items like protective gear and tools to ensure patient safety. However, there may be a solution that allows you to still obtain that new x-ray machine or dental software.

Data breaches pose grave threats to dental practices because they manage sensitive information relating to patients and their medical histories. If cybercriminals get a hold of this data, they can use it to commit fraud like forging credentials and making unauthorized transactions.

There’s no denying that having a solid IT solution in place can dramatically increase your dental practice’s efficiency, especially when it comes to your administrative and operational functions. However, incorporating IT into your practice means you’ll have to properly manage and maintain it.