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June 2021

DentaLab NewsJune 2021
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

What's happening in June

We have heard from Voices from the Bench that this is Dental Technicians Appreciation month.   And we certainly do appreciate them!   They and all the lab staff members have been very much a part of our team.  It has been their requests, ideas and suggestions over the years that have helped build DentaLab for QuickBooks and DentalRx into very capable responsive software that in turn provides helpful support for their work. 

Concerns over cyberattacks have increased dramatically throughout the world.  Here in the USA in recent months there have been 8 or more major cyberattacks every month and this trend has been moving steadily to smaller businesses.  One of best defensive measures you can take is automatic backups of your information to both local and remote/web-based locations with high levels of encryption.  This is a highly effective method to avoid ever having to pay ransom to access your data.  

Another is to train your staff to be alert for possible breaches and deceptive practices and the importance of safety measures.  We urge you to review the topics below on the prevailing rules for preserving privacy and the latest advances for backup and recovery. You can also call upon us if you need guidance on this.  

As a Microsoft Partner, we've been told that major updates and changes to Windows 10 (or perhaps 11) will be announced on June 24.  One of those mentioned is Windows 10 in the Cloud.  We will let you know the details in our next newsletter.

 

You are never too small

In our support calls we hear from time to time the phrase "we are too small"....sometimes to keep track of cases and their histories, sometimes to experience a cyberattack, sometimes to offer their customers extra services, sometimes to simply keep their records accurate and complete. 

Since we began offering the DQB Starter version, we also hear from labs with a staff of one, two or a few that the software has been an incredible help in keeping the details of their work organized and reaping far greater savings in time and money than the costs.  When their customers call requesting the status of current cases or details on case histories, they can respond in seconds.  If the doctor or a patient has special requirements, these can be noted in their DQB records with alerts issued to the lab staff.  

In addition to the new features and benefits that come with each of the quarterly releases, there are also new measures continually added to keep up with industry standards for internet safety, patient privacy and coordination with the surrounding components of your computer system such as Microsoft Windows, .NET Framework, SQL Server Data Management and Intuit QuickBooks.  

It is always a very good idea to keep your DQB and DentalRx software up to date.   


Looking ahead to July

Looking ahead to next month, we will be closed on Monday, July 5 for the USA Independence Day Observed.  

The July release for DQB 1.67 is close to completion and we anticipate that it will be ready for release early in the month. 

From July 6 to 16 will be an open period for those who have not regularly updated their software to have extra assistance to catch up.  In DQB you can check your About Box to determine if you are behind.   The current version is 1.66. 

 

    Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

To answer your questions....

Q: Can we sequence the stops for our local pickups and deliveries? 

A: Currently this feature is in the Local Driver app designed for smartphones but not in the traditional printed Pickup & Delivery lists.    Our programmers are adding an option to sequence the local customer stops for the printed lists.  Having the stops sequenced can be a big help for new drivers and if you want to establish the most efficient routes.    This new feature will be available in the July 2021 release.  

Note that the smartphone app and the printed lists are both based on the same DQB customer and case records.  Deliveries are based on the customer having a ship method marked as local and the case having a matching ship date and not being marked as already shipped.   Pickups are based on having a pickup request entered in DQB, a request via DentalRx or the customer having the indicator to pick up every work day set on. 

Q: How do we setup a local customer so that our driver stops to pick up every work day even if they have not submitted a request and do not have a delivery? 

A: This feature was added in a recent release.  Go to Basic Lists/Customers/Additional Information tab or to the Customer Center/Additional Information menu option.  Select your customer.  Be sure their Ship Method has been set to one of the local routes.    Check on the indicator that says: Customer has requested pickups every work day.

Q: What can be customized for the DentalRx web portal for our customers? 

A: Already built into the DentalRx and DentalRx Direct settings, each lab can make these choices:

Screen Color:   The default color for the screen banners is a deep green.  You can select a different color from the chart provided.

Screen Font:    The default screen font is Times New Roman.  You can select a different font from the list provided.

Screen Logo:    In the upper left of the main entry screen for the prescription will be a spot to replace the default image with your logo.  The logo can be up to 150 pixels high and 350 pixels wide.

Business Hours:   This is a text box for you to enter information about your business hours and availability.  It will be placed next to the entry field for the requested return date.

Digital Scans for Registered Labs:   This provides for entry of the dental digital technology providers and registration identifications for those labs that have registered to received digital scans directly to their email or website. 

Minimum Workdays for Return:   You can establish the minimum number of workdays needed for return of the case and enter a screen message to convey to the user the earliest return date that can be requested.   The default number is 1.  The DQB settings for holidays and Saturday/Sunday work scheduling will be used when determining workdays.

Preferences:   The default setting is to include the capability of creating, editing and viewing standing preferences for the doctor. You can choose to exclude this.

Pickup Requests:   The default setting is to include the capability of entering pickup requests. You can choose to exclude this.

Selection of Case Items:   The default setting is to enter case items by selecting from DQB standard procedures designated as available for DentalRx.   You can choose to enter case items by selecting from DQB product groups designated as available for DentalRx.  The product group names will establish categories such as Fixed, Removable, Orthodontic.

Required Fields:   The default setting will be to require all of the case-related fields.  You can uncheck those not required.  The case fields are Patient Name, Patient Age, Patient Sex, Shade, Tooth Number(s), Case Memo, Case Type, Case Item (minimum 1), Requested Return Date. 

Case Search Results:   The search results will always include these fields:  Case Number, Patient Name, Received Date, Requested Return Date, Case Status.   You can choose to also include any of these fields: Patient Age, Patient Sex, Shade, Tooth Number(s), Case Memo, Case Type, Invoice Amount. 

There is also an app available that provides for customizing the prescription screen design by categories, similar to the way this has been done for preprinted prescriptions.  If you choose DentalRx Custom, we can further customize to match your website and customer service goals.   It is important to know that although DentalRx is web-based, each lab has their own database and choices.


      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

The prevailing rules for preserving privacy

To preserve your privacy and that of your customers, here are some of the prevailing rules:

Before subscribing to an online service, be sure to know:

  • Where your information will be stored
  • Is the database shared with others or private to you
  • What safeguards are in place to assure that no one has unauthorized access to your information
  • The levels of encryption  used to transmit your information
  • The method and schedule for backing up your records
  • Guarantees on up-time and speed to assure timely processing
  • The  availability and method to easily transfer all your records should you no longer subscribe to the service

Whenever involved with healthcare, very stringent government compliance measures such as those in HIPAA are required to protect the patient's privacy.  Every organization and every software that records patient information is required to follow safety measures to assure there is no interference or access that has not been authorized.

When electronically  transmitting information, very high levels of encryption become necessary.  Typically these also require:

  • Multiple levels of authentication
  • Periodic changes to access logins, passwords and other authentication methods
  • Authentication methods that are not easily determined or duplicated
  • Legal agreements with software designers, developers and other resources to assure there is no disclosure of sensitive information
  • Specific rules on when and what doctor/patient information can be viewed, edited or transmitted  

The full article on Preserving Privacy was published in Spectrum Dialogue The Voice of Techno-Clinical Dentistry in May 2021 and is also available in the Blog section of our website:  www.mainstreetsystems.net

The latest advances for backup and recovery

Using the latest protocols and technology, the Advanced Backup Protocol provides for you:

  • Automatic verification to assure that every backup is readable.
  • Automatic compression to ensure small backups.
  • Automatic logging of your backups with location, date and size. 
  • Greater speed, typically ranging from 2 minutes for a small lab to 15 for high-volume labs.
  • Differential captures only the data that has changed since the last full backup.
  • Protocol designed for SQL that will assure backups are compatible with SQL upgrades.
  • The possibility for both local and online backups to cover more security concerns.
  • Automatic deletion of obsolete backups by date on the schedule you choose.
  • Setup by our tech support staff to ensure specifications and setups are correct.
  • Restoration by our tech support should it be needed.

In addition, you will have options for:

  • One or more automatic backups on the schedule you choose.
  • Multiple daily backups (up to 64) to your choice of locations and devices.
  • Free online storage at highly secured data centers.  We are recommending Google Drive that offers up to 15GB of free storage. Using your Google account, you will be able to monitor that your backups continue to be successful.   You can add more online storage at a low cost.  For example:  Google Drive offers up to 100GB for $1.99/month.
  • Backups for DQB Images Supplement scans and documents can be transferred directly to Google or another online service to save time and space. 
  • Use of additional CHECKSUM technology for very large databases to ensure all pages are written to disk and ready for potential restore.
  • A choice of encryption types depending on your SQL version.

Due to the high level of security measures involved, Advanced Backup Protocol requires installation and setup by our technical support staff.   The fee for licensing, coordination and setting up this protocol is $200 USD.  If changes to the specifications and schedules are desired after the initial setup or a restoration is needed, those who have a service agreement may use their non-billable time for this. 

If you wish to be removed, reply to this email with the subject "unsubscribe".

     

Customization is available for all products.

Contact us at 1-800-257-4535 or www.mainstreet-systems.com.

"I could kick myself for not doing this sooner...this system is awesome!"

Dale Dramstadd
Doctors Dental Lab
Minnesota, USA


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