Frequently asked questions
Dental IT support FAQ: your questions answered
Answers to common dental IT support questions from dentists and office managers: what My Dental IT does, the services we install and maintain, our HIPAA business associate agreement, backups and how to reach us.
Who we are
About My Dental IT
Where My Dental IT comes from, and how we work with the dental practices we support.
What is My Dental IT?
My Dental IT is an IT company built for dental offices. We provide computing and communications services tailored to dental practices, from the network and office server to the computers at the front desk and in the operatories. Our mission is to take the stress of maintaining your information systems off your hands, keep your network safe and secure, and support your practice with reliable, secure and expandable hardware and software.
How did My Dental IT get started?
My Dental IT was started right in the middle of a dental practice. Our founding members have more than 10 years of hands-on experience maintaining the systems a dental practice depends on. That means we know the hardware and software used in dentistry first hand, not from a manual. Read more about how My Dental IT started inside a dental practice.
Why use an IT company that focuses on dental offices?
A dental office does not run like a typical small business. Your schedule, charts and billing all depend on systems that have to work at the front desk and chairside, and patient information comes with HIPAA obligations. An IT provider that already knows dental practice software and hardware spends less time learning your office and more time keeping it running. Our guide to choosing a dental IT provider lists what to look for.
Will you tell us before you make changes to our systems?
Yes. We keep you informed of all changes to your network, planned maintenance work and updates to your systems, so nothing catches your team off guard in the middle of a patient day. If a change affects how your staff log in or use a program, you hear about it first. If you have a question about planned work, send it through our contact page.
Do you keep up with new dental technology?
Yes. Change is constant in a dental practice, and new technology and equipment appear all the time. We follow the dental management and IT industry to stay informed about new advances, so you benefit from that knowledge when you plan an upgrade or add equipment. Our dental office IT guides share some of that know-how in plain English.
Services
Questions about our dental IT services
What we set up, install and maintain across your front desk, operatories and back office.
What dental IT services do you provide?
We configure and secure your office network, set up backup systems and recovery software, and install and maintain malware and virus protection and server monitoring software. We also install and maintain desktops, tablet PCs and server systems, plus your dental practice management and billing software. Finally, we set up internet and phone lines and provide remote and home office connectivity. The dental IT services overview has a page for each one.
How do you keep our network secure without slowing the team down?
We configure your office network so that it is secure without sacrificing employee productivity. That means protecting your practice against intruders, damaging malware and unauthorized users, while keeping the programs and files your team uses every day easy to reach. Security that gets in the way tends to be worked around, so it has to fit how your office runs. Read about network security for dental offices.
Can you install and support our practice management and billing software?
Yes. We install and maintain dental office management software and dental billing software, along with the computers and server systems they run on. Our founders know the software used in dentistry first hand, which helps when an update or a new workstation needs to fit into your existing setup. If you want to know about a specific program, ask us when you get in touch. See our page on dental practice software support.
What computers and office hardware do you look after?
We install and maintain office hardware including desktops, tablet PCs, server systems and more. That covers the machines at the front desk, in the operatories, in the doctor’s office and in the server closet. Keeping that hardware reliable, secure and ready to expand as your practice grows is part of our mission. See computers and servers for dental offices for more on installation and maintenance.
Do you provide malware and virus protection?
Yes. We install and maintain malware and virus protection on your office computers, which helps keep digitally stored patient information safe. It works alongside a securely configured network and reliable backups, because no single safeguard stops every threat. Staff habits matter too: being careful with unexpected links and email attachments makes an infection less likely. Read about malware protection for dental offices.
Can you set up our internet, phone lines and remote access?
Yes. We set up internet and phone lines for your office, and we provide remote and home office connectivity, so the right people can reach what they need from outside the practice, such as an office manager working from home. As a general rule, remote access should be set up deliberately as part of network security, not left open for convenience. See internet, phone and remote access for details.
Privacy
HIPAA and patient data
What our business associate agreement means and how patient data is protected. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Do you sign a HIPAA business associate agreement?
Yes. My Dental IT signs a formal HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) with every customer to protect patient confidentiality. Under HIPAA, an outside IT company that can access your patients’ protected health information while maintaining your systems is generally a business associate (defined in 45 CFR 160.103), which is why a signed agreement matters. Read how our HIPAA business associate agreement protects your patients.
What is a business associate agreement, and why does my practice need one?
A business associate agreement is a written contract between a covered entity, such as a dental practice that bills insurance electronically, and a vendor that creates, receives, maintains or transmits protected health information on its behalf. It limits how the vendor may use that information and requires the vendor to protect it. HIPAA requires these agreements (45 CFR 164.502(e), 164.504(e), 164.308(b) and 164.314(a)). A signed BAA belongs on your list when choosing a dental IT provider.
How do you help protect patient data?
Patient data is at the heart of your practice, and protecting it is our number one responsibility. In practice that means a securely configured network, protection against intruders and unauthorized users, malware and virus protection that keeps digitally stored patient information safe, and backup systems so vital data is not lost. Patient confidentiality is also covered by the business associate agreement we sign with every customer. See how we approach dental office network security.
What does the HIPAA Security Rule expect from a dental office’s IT?
The Security Rule (45 CFR Part 164, Subpart C) requires HIPAA covered entities, which include dental practices that bill insurance electronically, to protect electronic patient information with administrative, physical and technical safeguards. These include a risk analysis, access controls, audit controls, a contingency plan with data backup, and written agreements with business associates. Our HIPAA Security Rule IT checklist for dental offices walks through each area in plain English.
When things go wrong
Backups and emergencies
How we help keep practice data safe from loss, power problems and server trouble, plus general advice every office can use.
How do you keep our practice data from being lost?
We set up backup systems so vital data is not lost, and we install and maintain backup recovery software so that data can be brought back when you need it. In general, a good backup plan also keeps at least one copy away from the office and is checked by actually restoring files, because a backup that has never been restored is only a hope. See data backup and recovery for dental offices.
What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?
The 3-2-1 rule is a widely used backup guideline recommended by CISA: keep three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy offsite. The idea is that a single fire, theft, hardware failure or ransomware attack cannot destroy every copy. A good plan also keeps one copy offline or unchangeable, out of reach of ransomware. Our dental office data backup guide explains how to apply it.
What happens to our computers and server during a power failure or surge?
A sudden power failure can corrupt files on a computer or server that shuts off mid-task, and an electrical surge can damage the hardware itself. We handle disaster prevention and recovery for power failures and electrical surges, so your practice is better prepared when the power misbehaves. Good general practice includes surge protection on equipment and battery backup that gives the server time to shut down safely. Read our power outage and surge protection guide.
How does server monitoring help in an emergency?
Your office server often holds the practice management software, billing data and shared files the whole team relies on. We install and maintain server monitoring software so server problems can be caught in case of emergencies, ideally before the front desk finds it cannot open the schedule. In general, spotting warning signs early, such as a failing drive or a disk running low on space, gives you time to act. See server monitoring for dental offices.
What should we do if we think ransomware has hit a computer?
Disconnect the affected computer from the network right away by unplugging its network cable or turning off its Wi-Fi. Do not pay the ransom: the FBI and CISA both discourage paying, and payment does not guarantee you get your data back. Then call your IT provider and report the attack to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Because patient data may be involved, the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (45 CFR 164.400-414) may also apply. Our ransomware protection guide for dental offices covers prevention and recovery.
Getting help
How to get dental IT support from us
How to reach us, start a remote support session and get a problem in front of us with less back and forth.
How do I get help from My Dental IT?
You can call us, email us or send a message through our contact page. If we ask you to, you can also start a remote support session so we can see the problem on your screen. Please keep patient information out of emails and contact forms. Our phone numbers and email address are below.
How does remote support work?
Remote support lets us connect to a computer in your office over the internet and work on the problem while you watch on your screen. Contact us first, then open the My Dental IT remote support portal on the computer that needs help and follow the prompts to join the session. Only start a session when you have contacted us or we have asked you to. Our remote support page walks through each step.
What should I have ready when I contact you?
A few details help us understand the problem quickly:
- Which computer, tablet or program is affected
- What you were doing when the problem started
- Any error message, word for word or as a photo of the screen with no patient information showing
- Whether other people in the office have the same problem
- The best person and number to call back
Never send passwords or patient details by email or through a form.
How do we start working with My Dental IT?
Start by calling us or sending a message from our contact page. Tell us about your office: how many computers and devices you have, which practice management and billing software you use, how you back up your data today and what is not working. From there we can discuss which of our services your practice needs and how our business associate agreement fits in.
Still have a question about dental IT support?
If your question is not covered here, ask us directly. Contact My Dental IT by phone, email or message, and include a few details about your setup so the answer fits your practice.
Ready for IT support that fits your dental office?
Call or send a message about what is not working or what you want to change, and we’ll talk it through with you.