Dental practice IT support in Adelaide
A dental surgery stops when the imaging PC won't see the sensor or the practice software won't open the day's book. We look after the front desk, the surgeries, the imaging computers and the server or cloud setup behind them, so your team can keep seeing patients and your patient records stay private.
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The short answer
Dental practices need IT that keeps the appointment book, the imaging and the chairside computers working together. WaTo Consulting supports Adelaide dental practices with practice software and server support, imaging and X-ray PC care, chairside and front desk computers, patient data privacy, tested backups and reliable Wi-Fi. We work with your software and imaging vendors and have been Adelaide-based since 2001.
IT for dental practices
A dental practice runs on more technology than most small businesses. There's the practice management software (Dental4Windows, Exact, Praktika, Core Practice or similar), a PC in every surgery, imaging software tied to intraoral sensors, OPG or CBCT machines, EFTPOS and health fund terminals at the front desk, and often a server holding years of patient records and X-rays. Imaging PCs are fussy about drivers and updates, and patient records are health information under the Privacy Act. Good dental IT keeps all of that talking to each other, updated without breaking the imaging, and backed up so a failed drive never costs you a patient's history.
What we do for dental practices
Practice software and server
We look after the server or cloud setup your practice software runs on, keep the database backed up, and deal with the software vendor when an update or error needs their help.
Imaging and X-ray computers
Imaging PCs set up with the right drivers for your sensors and machines, updated carefully so a Windows update doesn't stop the X-rays, and images saved where every surgery can see them.
Chairside and front desk PCs
Surgery PCs that start fast and open the right patient, front desk machines for bookings and payments, and shared screens set up so patients only see what they should.
Patient privacy and security
Multi-factor sign-in, email filtering, separate staff logins and encrypted backups, so health information is protected and you know what to do if a breach ever needs reporting.
Backups you've actually restored
Patient records and imaging backed up offsite and kept separate from the network, with regular restore tests, so a dead server or ransomware doesn't take years of history with it.
Wi-Fi and phones
Business Wi-Fi with a separate network for patients in the waiting room, plus phone systems that handle the morning rush and forward properly after hours.
Who it's for
- General and specialist dental practices with two or more surgeries.
- Practices with digital X-ray sensors, an OPG or a CBCT machine tied to imaging software.
- Practice managers stuck between the software vendor, the imaging company and whoever set up the network.
- Owners opening a new practice, adding surgeries or moving off an old server.
How it works
- We visit the practice. Front desk, every surgery, the imaging room and the server cupboard. We list each PC, device and piece of software, and who supports what.
- We find the weak spots. Backups that haven't been tested, PCs that can't be updated, shared logins and anything that would stop the chairs. You get a short plain-English report with costs.
- We fix the urgent things first. Usually backups, sign-in security and the imaging PC that keeps dropping out, done before or after clinic hours so patients aren't moved.
- We look after it. Managed support for the whole practice: patching that's tested against your imaging, monitoring, help desk and on-site visits when a surgery needs hands.
- We plan ahead. Replacement dates for old PCs and servers, help when you add a surgery or new imaging equipment, and a yearly check of backups and security.
Why WaTo for dental practices
- We work with your practice software and imaging vendors instead of pointing at them.
- Updates are planned around clinic hours and checked against your imaging, so a patch doesn't cancel a morning of X-rays.
- One team for the front desk, the surgeries, the network and the security.
- Adelaide-based since 2001, with technicians who come on site.
- Published rates, and real people answering the phone.
Dental practice IT questions
Our X-ray sensor stopped working after a Windows update. Can you help?
Yes. Imaging software and sensor drivers are often sensitive to Windows updates. We get the sensor working again, then set updates on imaging PCs to be tested before they install, so it doesn't keep happening. If the software needs an update from the imaging company, we deal with them for you.
Do you support our dental practice software?
We look after everything the software runs on: the server or cloud setup, the database backups, the PCs, the network and user access. When the problem is inside the software itself, we log it with the vendor and work it through with them, so you're not stuck in the middle.
Should our practice software be on a server or in the cloud?
It depends on your software and your imaging. Many practices now run the practice software in the cloud but keep imaging local, because X-ray files are large. We look at what your vendors support, your internet connection and your costs, then recommend one. See cloud vs on-premises.
What do we have to do about patient privacy?
Patient records are health information, so the Privacy Act applies, including the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme. In practice that means controlling who can see records, securing email and sign-ins, keeping encrypted backups and knowing what to do if something goes wrong. We set those controls up and help you write the plan. See cyber incident response.
How often should a dental practice back up?
At least daily for the practice database and imaging, with a copy kept offsite and separate from your network. Just as important is testing that a restore works. We set up the backups and test them on a schedule. See backup and disaster recovery.
Can you set up the IT for a new practice or extra surgeries?
Yes. We plan the network, cabling, PCs and Wi-Fi around your fit-out, coordinate with your software and imaging suppliers and have everything tested before the first patient. See new business IT setup.
Services dental practices use
- Managed IT services
- Backup and disaster recovery
- MFA and secure login
- Business Wi-Fi upgrade
- VoIP and business phones
- IT for medical clinics
Guides on this topic
- How to test backups and recovery before an outage
- Cloud, on-premises or hybrid: what suits a small business?
- How to secure business Wi-Fi without making it hard to use
- Cyber incident response planning for small business
Want your practice IT to stop getting in the way?
Tell us what keeps going wrong, whether that's the imaging, the server or the Wi-Fi, and we'll visit the practice and tell you what to fix first.
Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 5pm
