The dental industry has become heavily dependent on the use of technology solutions for everything from day-to-day appointment scheduling and patient record-keeping to advanced dental procedures. If medical technology and computer systems are not working properly, a dentist’s staff and his or her patients feel the stress, which ultimately affects the practice’s reputation.

Dr. J. Walker Love’s office in metro Atlanta, Dunwoody Family & Cosmetic Dentistry relies on a total of 14 workstations and two servers to manage the practice’s technological needs. Having devices perform at optimum speed and efficiency is critical to the ongoing success of the practice and to the ultimate safety of the patients. Power fluctuations during a office visits  and dental procedures can negatively impact patients.

Love’s office had been using surge protectors for all its devices. However, surge protectors only protect against catastrophic events (i.e., lightning strikes) and do not safeguard against the more common yet lesser known problems of current spikes, brown outs, and over voltage that take short and long-term tolls on sensitive medical equipment left vulnerable. 

Consequently, Love replaced his computers every 18 months and his electronic equipment on a frequent basis. When he complained to software support about slow-running computers and systems working poorly, representatives said they were hardware issues. When Love contacted hardware support, they said software issues were responsible. Thinking viruses were the culprit, Love eventually went to the extent of having an electrician put all devices on dedicated circuits and mandated that staffers could not access the Internet.

Intelligent electronics protection technology by Innovolt® was finally purchased for each computer, server, and printer in Love’s practice. 

Over the course of just 90 days, Love noted a significant decline in staff complaints regarding computer and server issues. At the end of those three months, Innovolt presented Love with a summary of recorded power disturbances from every installed device. The average current inrush from voltages sags were approximately 23 per month, but one area averaged 2,700 inrushes – the exact area of the office for which Love was replacing computers every 18 months. Innovolt’s solution shielded Love’s computers from those excessive surges.

Love was elated with the results. “Not only did I see a decrease in computer-related complaints, I was looking at hard evidence that the Innovolt power managers were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing. Today, I install Innovolt products in all of my dental offices and even my home computers,” says Love.

With Innovolt’s power protection technology, this medical office is able to save approximately $2,500 per year on purchasing new equipment. Most importantly, the office’s staff is able to work more confidently and efficiently, which in turn benefits Dr. Love’s patients. Moreover, extending Innovolt’s platform of protection across all medical technology would ensure equipment will function as designed, fulfilling the mission of doctors and assistants during critical, time-sensitive procedures.