Harnessing the convenience and cost-savings of increasingly popular Software-as-a-Service based solutions, a Bethesda, Maryland-based company that leverages the Internet to improve operations reportedly is releasing a Web product for dentists.

 

Officials at Dentisoft Technologies say their new “Office Online” appointment scheduling module brings real-time Web interaction with a hosted server, giving the solution anywhere/anytime access to an appointment book and allowing patients to request and confirm visits online.

 

According to Eric Wasserman, chief operating officer at the company, for many years, Web-based systems have relied upon technologies which prevented wide-spread adoption.

 

“This is no longer the case,” Wasserman said. “Software-as-a-Service has arrived in Dentistry. You can now interact with patients directly through the practice management system, providing opportunities for administrative savings, clinical discussions, and marketing.”

 

Generally speaking, SaaS (News - Alert) is a model of software deployment where an application is hosted as a service provided to customers through the Internet. By getting rid of the need to install and run an application on the customer’s own computer, SaaS reduces the cost of software maintenance, operation and support.

 

Strange as it may seem, this isn’t the first time that new IP technologies are helping people keep their teeth clean.

 

As TMCnet reported, an organization that arranges dental care for underserved U.S. children – seeking to cut costs during this slower economy – recently turned to a Swedish company for a telecommunications upgrade to VoIP.

 

Officials at Kool Smiles say they’ve replaced their traditional telephony system with SIP trunking from Ingate Systems, a Stockholm-based company that develops firewall technology and products that enable SIP communications for the enterprise while maintaining control and security at the network edge.

 

According to Mark Blomquist, co-founder and chief technical architect at Atlanta-based Kool Smiles, the nationwide dental practice’s switch to VoIP has saved 40 percent in communications costs. The Ingate solution, with new IP-PBX (News - Alert) (News - Alert), phones and network upgrades, is expected to pay for itself with a year.

 

“Ingate’s solutions provide the advanced level of security necessary for this medical environment and the tools to make the interface to the service provider hassle-free,” Blomquist said. “The Ingate products also offer us the flexibility we need to scale up as we roll out new dental offices. We chose Ingate after a thorough research process; they offered a complete, fully interoperable solution, which has met all of our expectations.”

 

Meanwhile, officials at Dentisoft say their free-ware version, “Dentisoft Office – Lite,” will also include the new appointment scheduling module.

 

According to Wasserman, dentists can use the product alongside their current practice management system, even if it is from another software company.

 

“It’s like getting a free upgrade – and in many cases, the office can even synchronize their appointment book automatically,” he said. “Patient messaging, online forms, appointment requests and reminders are all part of the free system.”

 

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