Founder of American Dental Companies (ADC), Dr. Adri Rama, places high quality patient care as the primary focus for his practices. With 670+ employees in 35 locations (and growing) throughout Arizona, Dr. Rama required a secure, centralized practice management solution to optimize business operations and deliver the highest level of care. He turned to Planet DDS solutions Denticon Practice Management and Apteryx Imaging to achieve his objectives.
Prior to onboarding Planet DDS, ADC relied on servers that were costly, unreliable, did not offer optimal security, and resulted in fragmented systems across the company’s multiple offices. This was not sustainable for long term expansion that could support high production numbers without compromising quality patient care.
“Our vision is controlled growth, and for us to achieve that, we needed the infrastructure first,” said Dr. Rama of his decision to onboard Planet DDS. “Some groups will accept having an office run on Eaglesoft while others run on Dentrix. We will not bring anyone on board to join our group if they don’t agree to switch to Denticon and Apteryx.”
Now with Planet DDS solutions Denticon and Apteryx, ADC has centralized, secure, cloud-based practice management for all locations supporting high-quality patient care, a better experience for staff, and the ability to scale with the organization’s steady growth.
“I think it’s an incredible strength for Planet DDS,” says Dr. Rama. “Everything is integrated so we can put our patients first.”
Researching Cloud-Based Practice Management Solutions
In 2015, Dr. Rama began looking for a cloud-based practice management solution. At that time, most of his locations were using server-based software, Dentrix. He realized that he needed a robust, cloud-based software that could help him manage across his growing locations.
As he researched, he considered solutions such as Ascend by Henry Schein, CareStack, Curve, and Denticon. Since he had previously used Henry Schein’s on-premise software, Dentrix, he first tried their cloud-based offering, Ascend. But within the first eight months, he found a flaw in the financial reporting of the software that ultimately made him decide to begin looking for alternatives.
“Although it was hard to notice in the first five to six months, coding for the financial reporting was a disaster. I started to see discrepancies in the months that were closed,” said Dr. Rama. When he raised the issue, the Ascend team wasn’t even aware of this problem with their software. After eight months of erroneous overpayments, he began looking into switching cloud solutions again. “We went back to the drawing board and looked at other cloud solutions.”
Planet DDS Ensures a Seamless Patient Experience for Multi-Location Practice DSOs
In seeking the right solution for ADC, Dr. Rama’s main objective was to find a platform that would enhance patient care while also supporting his administrators and doctors.
“We are a high-volume practice. We are able to maintain a high volume each day without sacrificing quality because we have a streamlined, centralized practice management solution,” explains Dr. Rama. “Our practice is very patient-oriented, and none of the doctors are an island unto themselves.”
With Planet DDS solutions Denticon and Apteryx, ADC effectively streamlines operations and delivers a better patient experience, even across multiple practices.
Planet DDS Cloud-Based Platform Protects Data and Keeps Information Secure
Like most dental providers, ADC offices were once server-based. However, Dr. Rama was an early adopter of cloud-based solutions, seeing that server-based systems were unreliable, costly, and vulnerable to theft and hackers.
Prior to onboarding Planet DDS, and still on a server-based system, Dr. Rama experienced a power surge that wiped out all computer systems causing them to lose everything. The $900 per month backup service informed him they had not backed up his practice’s data for 30-days, resulting in a six-figure financial loss for his business.
With Planet DDS’s secure, cloud-based solution for dental practices, Dr. Rama is confident that data and information is safe. Recently, one of his largest offices experienced a break-in. All data had been moved to the cloud, but there was still an old server on site. The server was stolen and hard drives and computers were destroyed. Thanks to Planet DDS, the impact on ADC was minimal.
“Imagine if this had happened six years ago. We would have lost everything,” Dr. Rama shares. “But because there was no client data on those servers, we were back up and running with no disruption to our practice.”
Centralized and Secure Practice Management
With Denticon and Apteryx, Dr. Rama’s company of 670+ employees can easily access patient and practice information anytime, anywhere to ensure optimal operations. Planet DDS provides standardized, all-in-one robust solutions for reporting, billing, treatment planning, X-rays and more.
“You can’t provide quality care with a cumbersome process or a server that’s going to crash when you try to log in,” Dr. Rama explains. “We do not want fragmented offices and server-based systems. I predict that servers will soon be a thing of the past.”
Beyond using Planet DDS solutions for reliable access to data, Dr. Rama also utilizes Denticon and Apteryx solutions to improve standard of care for patients. Each month, ADC closes its offices for two hours to provide clinical training for dentists. With Denticon and Apteryx, they review recent cases by accessing anonymized charts, treatment plans, X-rays, etc., to see where they can improve.
“This is how I check the quality of our work to see what standard of care was delivered and determine whether there’s room for improvement,” says Dr. Rama. “I do the same exercise with the hygiene team and the front desk team.”
Centralize Practice Management and Improve Security with Planet DDS
“Everything is standardized to a much higher level than other cloud companies. From insurance verifications, accounts receivable, billing to EOB entries, we could not do it without Planet DDS. I don’t think there’s another cloud technology that can do all of this,” says Dr. Rama.
Planet DDS is an end-to-end practice management solution for practices looking to scale and grow. Our solutions deliver enhanced security, centralized operations, and improved efficiency to help decrease cost. Your staff and patients will feel the difference.
Click here to book a Planet DDS demo and learn how Planet DDS cloud-based solutions for dental practices could help streamline and optimize operations and imaging workflows for your business.
Download the client success story: American Dental Companies Success Story