Is your dental management system running too slow? Are you waiting embarrassingly in front of your patients while the hourglass keeps turning over and over?

Dental offices have specialized computer needs. Mix your dental management software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Abeldent, etc.) with your digital image (Patterson Image, Dexis, Vixwin, etc.) and you get a small number of workstations that use a single server heavily. While any IT company can have a difficult time setting up and maintaining its network, it takes a specialist to make it work properly.

There are many reasons for your software slowing down; however, there are some golden rules that are the main culprits. Not all offices are configured the same and can be affected by one more of these common problems.

1) Antivirus software

It is suggested to run an updated antivirus on every computer in your office. But not everything is the same. First of all, stay away from homemade versions of antivirus software. These include Norton 360 and McAfee Total Protection. You’ll also want to steer clear of comprehensive internet security packages. They’re great for standalone computing systems, but they wreak havoc on networked computers. It is recommended to use the Enterprise versions available from companies such as Symantec and McAfee. Another product that works well in dental offices is AVG Network Edition.

An incorrectly configured antivirus can also cause a big slowdown. Make sure to configure your antivirus to NOT scan your mapped network drives. This is extremely important for the use of digital imaging programs. Check all workstations! Even a couple of workstations scanning network files can have a noticeable effect everywhere. Look for the Exclusion setting within your antivirus.

You’ll also want to check for scheduled daily scans. These are scans that will check all files on your computer for viruses. The scan should be scheduled for a time when your office is closed.

2) Server overused

A common mistake is using your server as a workstation. Although this works, it is not strongly recommended. A server must have a role; be a server! Do not use it for email, web browsing, and image editing.

If you use a server as a workstation, you are more likely to infect it with a virus or malware. With the low cost of IT equipment, it is not worth risking hours of downtime by allowing your staff to use the server as their personal computer at home.

3) Multiple switches on the network

As the offices grow, they will add computers to their network. It is very common to daisy chain your network switches. For the best possible performance, only one switch should be used. So buy a bigger switch to go with your entire workstation. This may also be a good time to upgrade from a 100 Mb switch to a 1 GB switch.

4) Continuous backup software

Most backup software is scheduled to run once a day when the office is closed. However, there is some software that uses a method called continuous data protection (CDP). The software continuously monitors your data for any changes. Once a change is made, a copy will be taken. Not bad for files that don’t get modified very often. But your files can have thousands of changes made in a typical day. This is not only dangerous as it can corrupt your data but it can also slow down your system.

Problem solving

Diagnosing a slow network can take a long time, even if done by an experienced technician. However, there are some main areas that you can focus on to reduce your problems.

First is to monitor your server while the office is in full swing. Open your task manager on your server and just watch for spikes in resource usage. If the server is under heavy load, you may want to consider upgrading or replacing it. You will also want to check how much hard drive space you have left. Anything less than 20% can cause problems for you.

The next thing is to check each workstation. Start with the stations with the most complaints. Start the task manager again to observe the excessive use of resources. Older systems may have been cluttered with excess software and junk. Perform a tune-up to clean up any unnecessary software. A few slow computers can affect the others by extending software load times and occupying the server for longer.

Slow dental software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Abeldent, and Tracker) may be a thing of the past. By checking common areas of interest, performing general maintenance, and following the golden rules of a network, your computers will continue to run smoothly.