5 Reasons Why IT Managed Support Is More Crucial for Dental Practices than Ordinary Businesses

For dental teams, patient care takes top priority each day. That doesn’t leave much time for anything that isn’t mission critical. It’s easy to fall behind on regular server maintenance, software updates, data backups and security checks that are essential to keeping your patient data protected and your practice productive.

Sure, cyberattacks are probably your biggest IT-related concern, but simply keeping your systems updated and running reliably is key to maximizing efficiency, minimizing downtime and eliminating unexpected problems. That’s why it’s important to consider an effective IT support solution for data protection and system maintenance.

Reason #1: They really are out to get you…especially dentists.

In 2023 and 2024 alone, highly sophisticated organizations like American Airlines, Dell, Ticketmaster, UPS—and even the UK military—have been victimized by data breaches. In 2024, AT&T paid hackers about $370,000 according to Wired. But that was nothing compared to the reported $25 million that software company CDK Global paid after a lone employee accidentally downloaded malware that led to a $1 billion business disruption for its clients.

Unlike you, the bad guys have nothing to think about all day except computer stuff. And the vast majority aren’t targeting big companies. Statista’s Market Insights estimates the global cost of cybercrime will surge, rising from $9.22 trillion in 2024 to $13.82 trillion by 2028. To put that in perspective: if cybercrime were a country, then it would be the world’s third largest economy after the U.S. and China.

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security thinking you’re too small to be a target. There’s always a criminal out there looking to score smaller, easier ransoms which are way too small for authorities to investigate, let alone prosecute. After all, medical records are more valuable to data thieves than Social Security or credit card numbers. When the responsibility for protecting this data feels overwhelming, the Benco Dental Software and IT Solutions team responds with vigilance. We’re up all night, so you don’t have to be.

This is more important then ever, since the way in which hackers are targeting businesses has gone from aggressive to downright merciless. According to a recent Axios report titled “Hackers pivot from data breaches to total destruction,” hackers are increasingly keen to completely shut down victim companies during cyberattacks. “These attacks focus on bringing companies to their knees,” said Sam Rubin, SVP of consulting and threat intelligence at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 team.

Reason #2: A successful attack will harm your reputation.

Effective cybersecurity is essential to maintaining HIPAA compliance and patient privacy. If a breach occurs, you now have an ethical and legal obligation to inform your patients. Make no mistake: they will initially be upset, scared, perhaps even angry. Imagine how that could change their perceptions of your trustworthiness. Will you lose some of your patients? Could they sue you for damages…and would that make it into your local news for the whole community to see? (One DSO ended up paying $3 million to settle a cyberattack lawsuit.)

As you can see, bad user reviews and adverse publicity aren’t just detrimental to your image. They also make it much harder to get back on your feet by generating new patients and replacing lost ones.

The answer? Managed Support by the Benco Dental Software and IT Solutions team. The service continuously monitors dental practice systems to ensure that backups and antivirus software are functioning properly. Our team doesn’t just protect your hardware and software, they protect your practice from problems that could do irreparable harm to your reputation.

Reason #3: Everything’s ok…until it isn’t. (Then what?)

“Most offices don’t know they’ve been infected until it’s too late. Ransomware on a server will start encrypting files slowly and might go unnoticed. Before long, the office won’t have access to anything,” said Sean Poppe, Technical Services Engineer for Benco Dental Software and IT Solutions.

“At that point, even for an office with an updated backup of their files, a doctor is facing huge delays for their system to be reintegrated. If backups haven’t been checked recently, a doctor loses months of data. Worst case, if the backup can’t be salvaged – all their data is gone.” However, with managed support, the Benco Dental team continually monitors your networks remotely, preventing issues before they arise.

Reason #4: Even normal software updates can throw your team into chaos.

Forget about cyber criminals for a second. How about everyday updates to your practice management or imaging software? With all your tech more or less connected, even a few simple changes can cause disruptions to usability and functionality. “Just because everything has been working smoothly for years at a dental practice, their imaging and practice management software versions might not be current. Six or seven updates can bring 1,000 changes all at once, making the software feel unfamiliar to the doctor and team,” Poppe explained.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know you don’t have to worry about those things on your own? A good basic plan will include 24/7 monitoring of your network, antivirus protection, remote support, cloud backup and encrypted email. Benco Dental’s service also includes onsite visits if you ever have problems that can’t be resolved remotely. It also includes an annual review of your system to help manage upgrades in advance, so you won’t have to face unexpected surprises. Talk to one of our team members today and find out more in just a few minutes.

Reason #5: It’s seriously cheap peace of mind.

For some practices, Managed Support from Benco Dental Software and IT Solutions could cost less than your monthly landscaping bill. Seriously. Maintaining your practice’s lawn, flowers and parking lot is probably more costly.

For example, a complete IT managed support package featuring essentials like 24/7 monitoring, antivirus, encrypted email plus cloud backup starts at just a few hundred dollars per month. Think about that for a second. According to HomeGuide, commercial landscaping costs between $40 to $80 per hour, per worker. Yet even an extensive IT managed support package, with continuous 24-hour monitoring, costs less than $1.40 per hour. Find out how affordable it really is today by requesting a customized quote created especially for your office.

The bottom line: managed support is great for your bottom line.

Think about what a simple system crash or ordinary malfunction could cost you in downtime. Then imagine how much something far more serious like a server data security breach could cost your practice in emergency IT expenditures, lost patients, potential legal problems and reputational damage. The risks for going it on your own are serious, but the benefits of adding IT managed support services are peace of mind, thorough protection, maximum efficiency for your team and less risk of downtime. All things considered, doesn’t IT managed support sound like one of the biggest bargains in all of dentistry?