Suggestions on how to begin???

[James Segulyev]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie who's looking to convert to OpenDental from Dentrix 11.5. I just downloaded the trial version and began to play with some of the different modules and began to feel a lilttle overwhelmed. Any suggestions on how/where to begin with learning this new software???

Thanks,

Jim

[Rickliftig]

Jim - I suggest you call up Open Dental and let them do a trial conversion on your data. That way, you can play with a database, names and procedures/treatment plans that you are familiar with. Then just play in the sandbox for several weeks until you get the hang of it.

[wjstarck]

Suggestions:

1) Rick makes an excellent point. That's a great place to start. Maybe install it on a laptop and then you can do a side by side comparison of the features. I think you'll find Open Dental more straightforward than Dentrix in many regards, and certainly an order of magnitude faster. I also moved from Dentrix to Open Dental. Navigation is greatly improved. For example, in Dentrix you typically have to click several windows deep to do anything (The chart for example), then if you want to move to another area, you have to back out of those windows, and click back in several windows deep to do another task (say Account management). In OD you merely have to click on any of the module buttons on the left hand side and you're there. Far more elegant.
2) There are alot of motivated users on this forum that are always happy to help. OD support is among the best, definitely worth the $99/month
3) If all else fails, you can always RTFM: http://www.opendental.com/manual/toc.html

[afeuer]

Hi Jim, I completely agree with the two previous comments. I know from personal experience I played with the trial version on and off for over a year before I really started to get serious about learning it. They way I really learned the software was by getting a trial conversion. I was able to get all of my data (although truncated) converted for free. Then I was able to run Open Dental side by side with my current software. It was amazing how fast I became proficient with OD when I was using my actual data.

Our experience in converting to Open Dental far exceeded our expectations. My biggest obstacle was convincing my father who was skeptical every step of the way. The only way I was able to do this was through their trial conversion. I was able to see exactly how my data was going to be converted and we tried many many comparison tests between the two programs. We had a few tweaks during our trial conversion and each time they were able to fix the problem. When we finally decided to go live the final conversion took about an hour.

The reasons I started looking at Open Dental were that my data was in an open documented database and the cost. What I found was a dental software program that was far superior to any other software that I tested.

[apollonia]

dittos on the trial conversion. we played with the trial conversion and then scheduled out "C-day" (conversion) for the (early) end of a friday so i could play all weekend before opening on monday.

as luck would have it, i was out sick on monday, and the staff figured it out without many questions. pretty smooth from there, and we are on our second year now.

anybody want to buy a dentrix license -- cheap?

[James Segulyev]

Thanks guys for the recommendations and support! I'll give OD a call this week to see about the trial conversion.

One more question, I've wanted to go paperless for a while, with OD 7 now supporting online patient registration forms and such, what do you think about converting to OD and go paperless at the same time? Does this make sense or am I asking for trouble?

Thanks,

Jim

[Rickliftig]

Jim - IMHO - one step at a time. Just because it's computerized, doesn't mean it will be easier. I'm seeing a very clear divide between those under fifty and over fifty as far as comfort level with computerized forms, etc.

In my near future, I will put the SOF and HIPAA forms on a tablet, but it will be awhile before I am comfortable with the medical and dental histories. This is mainly because of the number of questions and detail I have on my present paper forms - I gotta think this through.

Paper-less charts are a dream and everything received from other docs is scanned in. The charts are still used to hold old records and films (haven't gone digital there either)

My front desk doesn't miss writing out addresses or appointment cards and I don't miss writing out Rx forms and referrals. I am looking forward to the better incorporation of the lab slip feature, but at this time have it pretty well dialed in with an Open Dental Sheet that provides almost the same functionality.

OD is highly customizable (there's a thread concerning this on Dentaltown) and this is a big plus, but it can leave you a bit confused too.

[wjstarck]

Good advice.

We haven't quite made the transition to paperless consent forms and the like (I'm waiting to check out the Que from Barnes & Noble), but someone on this forum came out with an ingenious interim solution: Simply laminate all your patient forms, the signatures are done with erasable marker, then just scan them in. Cuts down on the paper, and the patients love the fact that you're not wasting paper.

Incidentally, if you are were using Vixwin for all your images with Dentrix, I can convert them to OD format in about 30 minutes so you don't have to do it manually. There's no charge, I just like to give back to OD community when I can...

[jordansparks]

We now have a good solution for the Vixwin/Dentrix situation. We charge for it, though.

[James Segulyev]

Hey Rick, thanks for the advice, I'll plan on taking it one step at a time.

Bill, thanks very much for the offer, I'll keep that in mind when the time comes to convert the data.

Thanks,

Jim

[khdilger]

Any advice for a new dentist taking over a practice that wants to transition it to Open Dental? Should I try to switch on day one? They currently run Easy Dental at the front desk for billing purposes only. They do not utilize any other parts of the software (no scheduling or treatment planning, nothing but billing). I will be calling to get a trial conversion so I can begin to play with open dental with the practice data.

I am looking for input as to if its wise to get it setup to go to a new PMS on day one when I take over or if thats possibly too much change for the staff at once (new doctor, new billing, electronic scheduling, etc...). In reality its only one employee that has to accept the change because nobody else really uses Easy Dental.

Thanks,
Kenny

[Rickliftig]

Kenny -

My advice is to get comfortable with your staff and their systems and the patients. Once you settle in, you can introduce them to the concept of Open Dental. Remember, your initial goal is to start making money and paying off your loan and establishing yourself as an equal to the previous owner. Your hands and mouth create the money, the computer merely helps you manage the system.

I will also add to this, a staff can make or break you. So opt for the former!

Best of luck. Keep in touch with all of this and plan your transition step by step as best you can.

Rick

[jordansparks]

When you take over the practice, does the old dentist get to keep all the accounts receivable? If so, then for a clean and easy record it seems critical to start using OD on day one. That way, there's no confusion at all about how much you collect from the patients. All your work is in the new system only. All the patient balances are zero on day one.

[Rickliftig]

Kenny - Jordan makes some excellent points. There area also a bunch of other good comments on another thread that were just posted. My point again, is make sure the staff is on your side because they can really smooth the transition.

[khdilger]

Jordon,

That sounds like very sound advice. A very strong point to push for moving to new software immediately. The first several weeks are going to be slow to begin with because of timing of when the dentist decided to retire and when I came in to purchase so it should be easier to move to the new software with out many patients the first month. I am looking forward to getting the trial conversion underway.

Kenny

[atd]

Simply laminate all your patient forms, the signatures are done with erasable marker, then just scan them in.

I was planning to try this, just wondering exactly what marker you use. Dry erase or wet erase or ? I don't want the marker to rub off on the scanner glass as it's going through the feeder. Or is using a flatbed scanner the only way to go with this?

[wjstarck]

Dry erase, although the ladies prefer to use a damp towel to erase them as it's faster. Hasn't been an issue so far on our scanners.

[DocEastin]

We now have a good solution for the Vixwin/Dentrix situation. We charge for it, though.

I would like to know more. I'm converting from PracticeWorks and VixWin to Open Dental. Trying to figure out the best way to convert the VixWin images. What is your solution?
Thanks!

[jordansparks]

I actually don't remember what I meant by that comment. It was nearly a year ago. I would suggest calling us and asking for our conversion department. They can give you more details about that.

[Hersheydmd]

Thanks guys for the recommendations and support! I'll give OD a call this week to see about the trial conversion.

One more question, I've wanted to go paperless for a while, with OD 7 now supporting online patient registration forms and such, what do you think about converting to OD and go paperless at the same time? Does this make sense or am I asking for trouble?

Thanks,

Jim

Open Dental makes it a cinch to go paperless. As of a few weeks ago, I am totally chartless and paperless. For the Registration Forms and Med History I put links on my website to the forms which are stored on OD's server. The patient can access them at home or in the office on my laptop (have to get a tablet), fill them out online and click submit. We import them into the patient's OD record and have the patient sign them in the office on a Topaz signature pad. I laminated the HIPAA form and give it to the patient to read, import a copy into the patient's OD record, and have them sign it on the Topaz pad at my front desk. No need to use an erasable marker and scan in the form.