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Image is Everything
There is no doubt that many dental offices have moved into the digital realm over the past few years. Systems that were primarily paper-based, such as insurance processing, scheduling, and charting, are now being accomplished within the digital patient record. Many dentists use the term “paperless” to describe their ideal office. However, I don’t feel this term is completely accurate. A better term may be “chartless”, as there will always be paper forms generated in a dental practice. These forms would include insurance forms, walkout statements, reminder postcards and, of course, hard copy output of digital images such as digital x-rays and intraoral camera images. Therefore, there will always be a need for printers, so this article will discuss the four different types of printers available.
Laser
Almost every office will need to have at least one “workhorse” laser printer for day-to-day printing, even if they don’t use any of the high-tech clinical devices. This printer will server as the main printer, printing out daily forms and statements. The capacity of the printer, and its cost, will be related to the size of the practice. For a very small office, they can get by with a lower-end laser printer, such as the Dell 1110, which is under $100. For a larger practice, a laser printer with larger paper trays and greater speed will be needed. Ones that I recommend include the HP 2015dn, which is in the $500 range. Features that should be evaluated include the printing speed (in pages per minute), paper capacity, number of paper trays, cost of replacement toner, and resolution.
Some offices will opt to get a network-ready printer, but this isn’t mandatory. Any printer can be connected to a single computer and then shared across the network. If the office prefers to not have this scenario and would like to be able to print even if the nearby computer is turned off, then they will need a network printer or a print server. Both, in essence, connect directly into the network switch (hub) and are viewed as a separate network device.
Inkjets
For offices that are utilizing digital x-rays or cameras, then they will need a printer that is capable of printing good quality images. Even the best laser printer in the world cannot match the image quality of an inexpensive inkjet for digital x-rays, and of course, color images should be printed in color. As with the laser printers, there are many different types of inkjets that will vary in the features and cost. Models that I’ve used in the past include the Canon PIXMA iP6220D, the Epson Stylus Photo R2400, and the HP 6980. The 6980 is an interesting addition to the HP line as it’s one of the first inkjets to include 802.11g wireless printing. Meaning, the printer can be positioned anywhere that is within range of the practice’s wireless access point and can be shared across the network. This would be ideal, for example, in a consult room or private office where no network cables or computers exist.
Color Lasers
One the realm of very large offices, color laser printers have dropped dramatically in price over the past year. A color laser, such as the Dell 3010, can be found for under $400. The advantage of this type of printer is that you would only need one printer for both laser functions and for color functions such as printing digital images. However, the overall impression with these color lasers is that at the low end of the price scale, the image quality is inferior to a sub-$100 inkjet, so if image quality is important (and when is it not?), then having two printers may be a better option.
All-in-one
Many manufacturers have created devices that were designed for the small office that is tight on both finances and space. An all-in-one system combines a printer (laser or inkjet), a scanner, a copy machine, and often, a fax, all into one device. For an office with a very cramped front desk area, this can be a great option since there is a need to find one for just one device as opposed to four. I would caution offices about these systems, though. If the device fails, then you lose all four functions, which can be very disruptive to the practice.
Since the idea of a truly paperless practice is not practical, dentists should take the time to find the best printer solutions for their office.
Lorne Lavine, DMD is the Founder and President of Dental Technology Consultants. Dr. Lavine holds two prestigious certifications, the A+ Certified Technician designation and the Network+ Certified Professional. These designations demonstrate proficiency in computer repair, operating systems, network design and installation. Dental Technology Consultants provide dentists a full range of services relating to the implementation of technology. Dr. Lavine can be reached directly at 1.866.204.3398.
Interested in speaking to Dr. Lavine about your technology concerns? Email him at Drlavine@thedentistsnetwork.net
Interested in having Dr. Lavine speak to your dental society or study club? Click Here.
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Defined Benefit Plans:
Retirement $ You Can Count On
When considering the many options available in designing both your personal and your practice retirement plan, there are a multitude of potential arrangements to choose from. For example, recently in The Dentist's Network newsletter, we talked about profit sharing and 401k plans. In those plans, the Internal Revenue Service establishes a contribution limit every year. But also in the mix of retirement program options worth considering is what is known as a defined benefit plan.
In selecting a defined benefit plan you choose the level of benefits you will receive when you retire. In other words, you are promised a specific monthly amount at retirement. As Tom Burns, a senior consultant at San Diego Pension Consultants, further explains, “A defined benefit plan may state the promised benefit as an exact dollar amount, for example, $100 per month at retirement. Or it may specify a formula for calculating the benefit, for example, $10 per month for every year of service with the company, or a percent of a worker's salary times years of service. The annual employer contributions are based on what is needed to fund the retirement benefits.”
The defined benefit plan is different from the 401k and profit sharing plan in that those plans limit how much can be contributed to the plan each year. With a defined benefit plan there are no limits on how much a dentist or an employee can allocate for the plan annually.
Mr. Burns notes that a defined benefit plan may be an option to consider when reviewing retirement plans for a number of reasons, including:
- Dentists can generally contribute, and, therefore, deduct more than they can with other types of plans.
- Substantial benefits can be secured – even with early retirement.
- Vesting can be immediate or spread out over a seven-year period.
- Benefits are not dependent on asset returns. In other words, there are no investment risks for participants. Therefore, this plan provides a predictable benefit.
- The cost of administering the plan is tax deductible and the Internal Revenue Service provides a tax credit of $500 each year for the first three years.
“These types of plans tend to be most beneficial to older dentists who are closer to retirement age. Through defined benefit plans they can dramatically accelerate the amount of money they put away for retirement. For example, a dentist in his/her mid 40s to mid 50s could put as much as $165,000 into a defined benefit plan on a pretax basis,” explains Mr. Burns.
He notes that defined benefit plans work particularly well in small practices with just a few full-time employees and the dentist is between 45 and 65 years old. The dentist has his/her schooling and their practice paid off. Their children are raised and now they have substantial excess cash flow and will have that for at least the next three-to-five years.
On the downside, defined benefit plans are more difficult to understand and are much less flexible than other plans. Defined benefit plans have a required contribution, and once the plan is established, practice owners have to be prepared to fund it at approximately the same contribution level for at least three-to-five years. In order to reach the level of benefit that the dentist wants to receive at retirement age, she/he has to be prepared to put the required amount into the plan each year.
In addition, a defined benefit plan can be fairly costly for small practices with older employees. “An older group of employees will require a much larger contribution. So the ideal scenario would be a practice with a dentist closer to retirement who employs a team that is somewhat younger,” says Mr. Burns. In the right practice, a defined benefit plan can be tremendously beneficial to the doctor from both a tax savings and a retirement savings standpoint.
For further information on retirement planning contact Tom Burns at tomburns@sdpension.com.
Sally McKenzie is CEO of The McKenzie Company, Inc. a nationwide dental management, practice development and educational consulting firm. Working “on-site” with dentists since 1980, McKenzie Management provides knowledge, guidance and personalized systems that have propelled thousands of general and specialty practices to realize their potential. Sally can be reached directly at 1.877.777.6151
Interested in speaking to Sally McKenzie about your management concerns? Email her at Sally@thedentistsnetwork.net
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