I started this blog as I clicked on one of my fav streaming stations and they were rocking some Queen! A lot of my kids’ programs and games feature classic rock music, using them in new and exciting ways. As I look at the technology being introduced this year, that seems really apt.

Early each year technology predictions come out, and new products are introduced that will be rolled out through the year. What I am really looking forward to is less about what is new and more about what is improving. We need tech that will help us make our lives easier.

Verifying Identity

There has always been a need to verify identity. A long time ago, that was a crest ring, being recognized around town or documentation cards. Now it’s passwords and biometrics. We keep moving toward ever less personal and automated ways to validate identity. Passwords are going to be a necessary evil for the time being, but there are easier ways to handle them. There are two newer products that are in production that I have been really excited about. The first is a really good password manager. Password managers have been around for the past 20 years, and it is high time we all invested in one. With the proliferation of passwords for every single website we use, we run the risk of using the same password on our bank account that we use for shopping on the latest website online. When we lose one or one gets compromised, we end up losing a password to multiple sites and accounts. Having a password management system allows us to keep them in one location, securely autofill them, and change them on demand. The “new” part of this is combining password management with biometric authentication.

Siligent is introducing a new product this year that will allow us to biometrically open our Windows machines, authenticate us and keep that authentication available and readable for the entire day. So we log in once, authenticate once, and are good to go with a tap for the rest of the day. Most of us use biometric authentication in our everyday lives with facial or fingerprint recognition. That authentication process does not work when we are gowned up with multiple masks, goggles, face shields, hair caps etc. We are introducing a new product that will authenticate your biometrics and then keep that accessible and available to transmit throughout the day. The integration of a good password vault and a biometric product ready to be installed is a huge step forward in our day to day security goals.

Hardware

This year, technology may also help us behind the scenes. With new technology improving our supply chain, we are hoping for stocked shelves and better pricing to come into effect. Highlights include graphics cards that aren't new, but moving back to a more reasonable price range. For a while they were in the $350 range to more than $8K, if you could find them. With new introductions in a sub $200 range, I expect we will see some integrated graphics systems coming out in more reasonable price ranges. As we move to ever more 3D presentations and requirements with ClinCheck, Invisalign etc, having systems available with reasonably priced graphics cards will be a nice change.

The introduction of new server hardware from Intel (long overdue) will also give us more options for servers on site to be both powerful and right-sized. For the last few years we had a lot of choices for a souped up gaming computer or a massive data center server, neither of which worked for our Dental office businesses or budgets. With Sapphire Rapids coming out, we are being given better options for businesses that have computing needs, but aren't quite ready for the cloud.

New Technology: Staff Training

The final piece of technology I want to highlight is something that isn't widely used in our industry, but should be. With so much employee turnover this year, our ability to train staff well is a strain on already overworked team members and our limited time. Augmented reality is quickly developing into a usable and accessible way to train employees on what makes your office the best in the area. Imagine having all the right tools at your fingertips for the procedure that you are about to jump into, even with a brand new employee. You can quickly share the right breakdown or setup procedures. Training experienced employees on new technology or equipment will no longer be time consuming. Augmented reality has been adopted in larger industries and in the dental industry, it’ll make life easier for all.

2022 is shaping up to be a doozy, but often the right technology (not just the latest and greatest) can improve processes in the office. Contact us at Siligent to learn more about how technology can improve your dental office life.