DS Core
Digital Dentistry
Blog Post
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many industries worldwide were forced to turn to digital solutions to provide safety for staff and patients. This digitalization continues to have a huge impact on every industry, but the healthcare industry is continuing to develop as a result.
Many dentists are now introducing digital workflows into their practice due to the numerous benefits they can offer. Digital solutions are replacing traditional workflows making them more efficient and, most importantly, increasing patient comfort and experience, which has become essential for practice growth.
Many different technologies are available to help dentists improve patient care and practice efficiency. But, in this article, we’re going to look at dental platforms in more detail.
What are dental platforms?
Today, around 75% of businesses use a type of cloud-computing software. Dental platforms are powered by the cloud and allow dentists to do more in their practices.
These platforms provide additional connectivity, data management, and other services to help make workflows more efficient. Implementing dental platforms helps make hardware more versatile and effective, allowing dental practices to provide more treatments and services. They can be easily integrated into existing workflows, saving time and costs and connecting dental practices to labs in a better way.
How do dental platforms enable dentists to offer a better service for patients?
In this section, we’ll look at the impact dental platforms have on dental practices and how this translates into a better patient experience.
Improve communication
Dental platforms streamline communication between dental practices, labs, and partners by allowing easy file sharing. For example, an intraoral scanner can take an impression instead of traditional methods. The scan can then be emailed straight to the lab, skipping the need to send a physical model off. The process is much faster and more efficient, translating into a quicker treatment experience for the patient.
Digital methods also allow dentists to visualize and communicate treatment options to patients, resulting in higher treatment uptake. This improves communication across a complete workflow, from diagnosis to treatment and completion.
Reduce time spent on treatment and diagnosis
Better access to patient files and better file sharing, along with digital tools such as intraoral scanners, CBCT imaging, and 3D printers, allows dentists to shorten their diagnosis process. The accuracy provided by the hardware makes diagnosis easier and faster. Treatment planning can be accomplished more quickly by reducing the amount of time it takes to produce appliances.
Teach staff to perform procedures
Having dental platforms, and digital dentistry solutions within the practice allow dentists to delegate workflows to practice staff for patient-specific applications. After performing an intraoral scan, practice staff can request custom appliances with just a few clicks. Practice staff are able to take on more responsibility and dentists can focus on tasks that help to grow their businesses.
Provide a broader range of treatments and services
A dental platform connects the digital equipment within a dental practice. Once one workflow has been implemented, further workflows and treatment options can be integrated. Dentists are then able to meet patient expectations with further treatments and services.
Improve workflows
Digital workflows improve existing, traditional, and manual workflows by streamlining processes and connecting various elements of the dental practice.
The importance of improving patient experience and service
Modern customers have higher expectations around customer service, and research shows that 80% of consumers now consider a company's experience to be as important as its products and services. Just as in the consumer world, dental patients’ expectations have also changed. More patients expect a dentistry experience that’s comfortable, convenient, and accessible, and they will switch to another practice if they’re not happy.
As a result, providing positive and convenient patient experiences is crucial for retaining patients and attracting new ones. Good patient experience is now key to ensuring a dental practice's long-term profitability and success.
Introducing DS Core
DS Core is Dentsply Sirona’s cloud platform developed in collaboration with Google Cloud. It connects a dental practice’s hardware and brings a number of services closer to dentists so they can provide better treatments to patients.
The platform is designed around the needs of dentists and modern dental practices to help them work more efficiently and improve data security.
DS Core provides a number of benefits to dental practices:
Seamless and enhanced connectivity
DS Core provides a gateway to digital dentistry and quick and easy collaboration with peers and partners. It connects equipment across the dental practice, offering a more integrated practice. DS Core is connected to other equipment from Dentsply Sirona which allows a seamless upload of files and remote access to all patient records.
Dental practices are using DS Core to efficiently connect hardware, collaborate with labs and partners, and access patient files from any location, on any device. Dentists have the ability to connect to labs directly and quickly when placing, tracking and receiving design files.
In addition, dentists can collaborate with expert partners and specialists to ensure they’re always offering their patients the best treatment and clinical outcomes, even in complex cases.
More efficient workflows
With the ability to automatically upload filed from several devices, DS Core provides better control over files and improves workflows by making it faster and easier to access and collaborate on files.
DS Core provides support throughout the full patient journey from diagnosis through to final care or treatment. This includes patient engagement, diagnosis, treatment planning, delivery, monitoring and patient follow up once treatment is completed.
Saved time
DS Core is designed to save time and provide dentists with more time to spend on patient treatments. By eliminating manual processes such as taking molds of patients mouths, sending them off to the lab and waiting for dental appliances to be made and delivered, dentists can manage the process on one system.
Additionally, all patient records, files and messages are stored in one place. This makes it easy and convenient to find old information or messages with the click of a button, preventing patients from having to wait around and preventing dentists from wasting time looking through hundreds of physcial files to find the information they need.
Greater security
Dentists and patients can have peace of mind that DS Core’s security standards support GDPR and HIPAA-compliant storage and sharing of patient case files.
Secure software allows for smoother collaboration with labs and partners and improve relationships with patients by showing them you’re looking after their personal data.
Access files anywhere
DS Core and the files stored on the cloud can be accessed from anywhere, at any time with no installation or dedicated software required. All patient records can be accessed on different devices either in the practice or outside it.
Being able to access files from any device in any location is beneficial to any dental practice but particularly those who have a huge number of patients and the paperwork that comes with it. Records and files can be located simply, improving efficiency and giving dentists more time to focus on activities that grow the business.
Service and Support package: DS Core Care
One of the biggest benefits of implementing DS Core into a dental practice is the equipment service and support package available, DS Core Care.
DS Core’s technical support package offers equipment service and support that protects your equipment. Thanks to the connection to DS Core, it goes beyond – enabling preventive and digital service capabilities. The key benefit is it helps to increase equipment uptime, providing comfort to the dentists so they can focus on the more important aspect of their practice; their patients. Ensuring the proper support is in place when investing in any digital dental equipment is essential to ensure the following:
More time with patients - support allows dentists to focus on patients and successfully run their practice.
Quality of service - dentists who invest in DS Core Care benefit from a trusted manufacturer and trained service technicians. In addition, maintaining equipment allows dentists to continue offering high-quality service to patients.
Productivity - DS Core Care prepares practices for the unexpected with clearly defined coverage of parts and individualized support options when required.
Phone support - when you invest in DS Core Care, you are provided with hotline support that can be accessed when required to help dentists fix software issues and avoid prolonged periods of downtime.
Fast service clarification (FSC) - this enables remote troubleshooting from highly qualified Dentsply Sirona experts. With the connection of your device to DS Core, you can benefit from real-time, efficient support, limiting unnecessary follow ups and saving your time.
DS Core
The platform where Dentsply Sirona's digital services and solutions meet
In summary
Cloud based dental software is being used across a number of industries, and the dental industry is no different. Dental platforms are allowing dentists to improve customer experience and grow their practices. Offering a more streamlined, more efficient workflow across various treatments in the practice helps dentists free up more time to spend with patients. In addition, patients receive more accurate treatment planning and outcomes, with less time spent in the dentist's chair.
Patient experience is essential for dental practice growth in the future and digital dentistry will allow dentists to expand their treatment offerings and, most importantly, improve patient care and experience.
Please contact a Dentsply Sirona representative to find out more about DS Core.
