new computer for established small practice

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kirktucci
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Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:16 pm

new computer for established small practice

Post by kirktucci » Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:27 pm

I'm in the process of computerizing my 20 year old practice and am a bit overwhelmed by all the information out there. I have decided on Open Dental but am finding it difficult to figure out what hardware I should have in my office. I am a one dentist, one hygienist office and don't expect to be growing any further than that. I thought one server and one workstation would suffice but then I get bogged down trying to figure out what I should purchase for this. I am not going to digital xrays or go paperless any time soon, if at all. Most of the threads I have been reading are for much larger practices or those with expectations to grow considerably. Would one tower and a laptop suffice? Do I need Windows 7 professional on both? Thank you for any help and recommendations you can give.

teethdood
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Location: Visalia, CA
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Re: new computer for established small practice

Post by teethdood » Tue Feb 28, 2012 12:19 pm

Hi kirktucci,

As an OD user/advocate, I would like to say that you have made the right decision to go with OD. OD is very flexible in that it gives you room to grow into it slowly. The more you use it, the more you will find little features here and there that would make your life easier. You'd be like, "How did I survive this long without this?"

As far as "...not going to...go paperless any time soon..." there are regulations that require dental offices to go paperless (if not EHR compliant) by 2014. The time to do it is now. Do it, don't look back. Computerize each and every one of your operatories.

Short term: 1 server doubled as a frontdesk computer also, and a laptop to move from room to room. Doable, not recommended.
Long term: 1 server, 1 frontdesk computer, and 1 computer for each op. Get a wireless router. Done. You don't need to wire your office, WiFi is fine for most things nowadays.

You don't need win 7 pro for both. server = pro, the rest win7 home is fine for your purpose. I would suggest you read up some other posts on this topic here.
Philip H. Doan, DDS
http://www.kaweahdental.com/

kirktucci
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:16 pm

Re: new computer for established small practice

Post by kirktucci » Tue Feb 28, 2012 1:24 pm

Thank you very much for your insights. I had been reading the other posts for about a week but wasn't finding much in regard to small offices such as mine. Are you concerned about security with wifi?

I've gotten into the habit of writing up my charts in my office after dismissing the patient and now wonder if I should put a computer in there to start with one at the front desk which would also be my server. I'm trying to keep start up costs lower since things have been slower in the office as of late.

teethdood
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Location: Visalia, CA
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Re: new computer for established small practice

Post by teethdood » Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:28 pm

Set your wifi router to use WPA2-PSK. I'm not concerned at all about wifi security issues.

The most important thing to ask yourself is: what is my budget?

Here's a very basic cost conscious setup that I think will get you going for absolutely bottom of the barrel cost:
Get a couple of Dell Vostros for $350 each, monitors extra. (They do come with HDMI ports allowing you to connect to a TV if you want to set that up. But that's a different scenario.) = $700. Get a decent wifi router = $50.
Upgrade one computer to Win7 Pro (another $100 I think). Set that up as a server/frontdesk (I know I know...asking for trouble). The other computer will act as a client and can remain win7 Home. Add more computers as you grow. Of course you can always use your laptop as a client but laptops tend not to be portable in an office setting. You don't have time to move that laptop from room to room. After you've done all this, remember to back up back up back up! $150 will get you a portable hard drive to back up to.
So now you are $1000 in the hole. Prep a crown and call it even.

I'm not saying this is how I would do my own office, but for what you're asking, I'd say it would work fine. If your budget is higher than the fee for 1 crown, ask again :-)
Philip H. Doan, DDS
http://www.kaweahdental.com/

kirktucci
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:16 pm

Re: new computer for established small practice

Post by kirktucci » Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:42 pm

I can't tell you how much this is helping me! I'm thinking I should then add one more tower for the front desk, leaving the Win7 pro as a server only and everything would still come in under $1500 start up, a definite can do. I thought the towers would be a bit more. When I've been on the Dell site, picking options, the costs always seemed to pop up over $800 per. I'll check out the Vostros. Thanks again!!

teethdood
Posts: 267
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Location: Visalia, CA
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Re: new computer for established small practice

Post by teethdood » Tue Feb 28, 2012 6:07 pm

Dell Vostro 260 MT $479 with 20" monitor and call it a day. Get 5% cashback through discover :lol:
Hard drive is a bit smallish for the server, but OD has a very small footprint anyway.
Then get on OD support. It will be like you've been prepping with a slow speed handpiece and they just invented the high speed.
Good luck! Welcome to 2012! :lol:
Philip H. Doan, DDS
http://www.kaweahdental.com/

Cheryl Stern
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Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 6:30 am

Re: new computer for established small practice

Post by Cheryl Stern » Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:30 am

Hi kirktucci,
What you are doing is exactly how I started computerizing my office years ago and it worked just fine. I ma also a small office with one dentist and one assistant. I started with a front desk computer that doubled as the server and one in my back office. I was still using paper records at that time. When I got a camera and wanted to do patient charting on the computer I added a computer for each operatory. That worked out very well and now I have incorporated digital x-ray and electronic records using open dental. I still only have the front desk as my server and I have two companies back it up for me. I use Idrive ( you can get 5GB of back up free) and the company that set up my hardware does a back up also. I do use Windows 7 Professional. In my original office I used wifi for the back office and hardwired the other computers. This office all is hardwired. The wifi worked fine. For now you could write up your charts in your office and then add computers to the operatories later if you want. Good luck!

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