Four Steps to IT Success for Dental Startup Practices

At Darkhorse Tech, we specialize in dental startup practices, from start to finish.

We will work with you from the very beginning phases of your dental startup to make sure your IT needs are exactly how you want them to be. We begin by helping consult on what you might need for your startup in regard to technology. We listen to your ideas and also give advice based on what we have learned from other startup practices.

Once construction starts on the office, we will work directly with your contractors to make sure everything goes smoothly regarding the build-out and making sure all IT components are considered. We also have multiple contacts all over the country who we can refer you to if you need help wiring, etc.

Below is a list of important IT needs to consider before launching your dental startup.

Telephone/VOIP Systems

(2 months before opening)

Phones are important, and having numbers secured early is critical. You will also need a phone number for:

• Insurance credentialing
• Marketing and website materials

With providers like MangoVoice, RingCentral and Weave, you can pre-schedule patient visits before construction of your office is complete. You can also install the app on your personal mobile phone and take calls through the app.

You can dial out from that same app so it appears that you're returning calls from your business number. This will prove beneficial after the office opens-you'll use this same mechanism for emergency calls so patients can't obtain your personal cell phone number.

IT/Server Hosting

(2-4 months before opening)

In server-based offices, you'll want to have a progressive IT company. Once you sign-up, the company will email you a link to your practice management software, already installed on your server.

For example, an office running Open Dental may want to pre-install a program like LocalMed to open up online scheduling of appointments, or a program like Flex Dental, Opera DDS or YAPI to provide those new patients with their digital paperwork that will automatically feed back into your server.

Another idea is to use this time for training. If your practice management software is new to you, you may want to take this time to play around, watch videos or hire a consultant to help you maximize effectiveness. Once your office is built, your IT company will install the server and you won't miss a beat!

Internet Services

(1-3 months before opening)

Most internet providers need 30–90 days to install lead time, so engage them early and often. Schedule your date as soon as you know where your IT closet is going to be located, and once the building has electrical.

Email, Website and Search Engine Optimization

(4-6 months before opening)

As soon as you identify a name for your practice, purchase a domain name and anything close to it. For example, if you're going to open a Mint Dental in Florida, buy mintdental.com, mintdentalflorida.com and so on. This is a brand protection move.Secondly, set-up your email accounts so you can communicate professionally with your new team. Before you open your practice, you'll want to add email encryption to ensure that you keep all patient health information secure. Finally, secure a professional website designer to assist in your website/SEO efforts.

Contact Us

Darkhorse Tech is a leader in the field of Managed Services for IT and New Dental Startup Practices. If you have any questions, call us at 1-800-868-4504 or contact us here. We're located all throughout the country serving clients in all 50 states.