Bristol Dental Specialists launches virtual visits and provides faster, more personalized care with Microsoft 365

“The patient didn’t think he would be able to see a local dentist for months,” says Dr. Watts, who was pleasantly surprised by the clarity and level of detail he was able to pick up via the Teams connection. “During the Teams meeting, he was able to move in closely to his laptop and show me exactly where he’d damaged a tooth. After gathering the information I needed and confirming that I could help, we made an appointment for the next day.”

After the success of that first Teams consultation, Dr. Watt’s skepticism disappeared.  “Teams meetings are the perfect way of triaging,” he says. “I can get to know a patient and set their expectations for treatment before they even set foot in the office.”

Dr. Ben Cross, an orthodontist and a founding partner at Bristol Dental Specialists, opened the practice to help improve patients’ lives through comprehensive specialist dental care delivered with an outstanding patient experience. Launching a brand-new business gave Dr. Cross and his colleagues a perfect opportunity to invest in technology that would match their vision for a highly integrated, leading-edge workplace. After evaluating other tools, including Google Workspace, Dr. Cross and his colleagues embraced Microsoft 365 for the advanced functionality and intuitive nature of the tools. “We chose Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams as our workplace productivity tools because they help us spend more time with our patients and communicate effectively with colleagues both inside and outside the practice,” he says.

Faster, friendlier, more cost-effective patient care with Teams

The initial investment in Microsoft 365 meant that Bristol Dental Specialists could acclimate quickly to the unexpected adjustments brought on by the COVID-19 health crisis. “We were already planning on deploying Teams for virtual consultations, but the COVID-19 lockdown accelerated our plans,” says Dr. Cross. The practice turned to Teams, anticipating benefits for both practitioners and patients. “It’s great for us to get to know patients before they come in, manage expectations, and give them as much information as possible before they commit to visiting the clinic,” says Rebecca Metcalfe, Senior Treatment Coordinator and Dental Nurse at Bristol Dental Specialists. After a virtual consultation, specialists already have the information they need to begin in-person treatment more quickly. “Meeting first in Teams makes us more productive,” says Dr. Watts. “When a patient steps into the room after a virtual consultation, we are already up to speed.” And, when the team at Bristol Dental Specialists makes a follow-up call, they do so in Teams to reduce travel for patients and minimize stress after a procedure. “As reflective practitioners, we use Teams to check in on patients after surgery and make sure they are as comfortable as possible at every stage of their journey with us,” says Dr. Cross.

Virtual consultations also help patients who are apprehensive about visiting the dentist to relax in the comfort of their own homes. “It’s undeniably more relaxed and personal to meet each other virtually,” says Metcalfe, whose role revolves around supporting patients through their dental journey and helping them understand treatment options. “We have plenty of nervous patients. It is really helpful to meet in Teams and build trust—it’s easier for them to take the next step and come into the practice.” And, holding an initial meeting via Teams helps keep costs down for both patients and practitioners. “A lot of the patients we see need several specialist opinions,” explains Metcalfe. In the past, this might have involved multiple visits, but with a simple Teams meeting, several specialists can collaborate on a treatment plan at the same time, starting a patient on their journey more quickly and cost-effectively. “Finalizing a treatment plan could have taken weeks previously, but with Teams virtual visits, we can accomplish this in 24 to 48 hours,” says Metcalfe.

Because patients who consult virtually with Bristol Dental Specialists in Teams are prepared early on with detailed cost estimates and timelines for treatment, almost all of them move ahead with their care. “There are no surprises for a patient who comes into the practice after meeting with us in Teams,” says Dr. Cross. “In the past, about 70 percent of patients who met with us would opt to go ahead with treatment, but with virtual visits in Teams, uptake of treatment is almost 100 percent.” If instead a patient needs to be referred to a different practice, using Teams to conduct the initial consultation means Bristol Dental Specialists can share relevant information quickly and save even more time for the patient.

And, for patients who live out of town, less time spent traveling to and from appointments is a great relief. “The efficiency of that digital pathway is better for all of us,” says Dr. Cross, who uses the screen sharing feature in Teams to show orthodontic patients a 3D scan of their teeth—and even give them a glimpse of the projected outcome of their treatment. “For a quick consultation that only takes 10 minutes, it makes perfect sense to meet virtually rather than driving into the city for an appointment,” he says.

Effortless communication from anywhere expands the business, expedites care

As a specialist-only practice, Bristol Dental Specialists relies on great relationships with general dentists who refer patients to the practice for expert care in a particular area. “This is a high-trust relationship that’s vital to expand our business,” says Dr. Cross. “We need open lines of communication so that we can collaborate effectively with the practitioners who refer patients to us.” Previously, Bristol Dental Specialists fielded calls and emails from referring dentists, sending documents back and forth to get all the relevant details. As an added complication, many professionals at Bristol Dental Specialists divide their time between the practice and an academic or hospital setting and are only onsite for a limited number of days each week.

“With Microsoft 365, we rely on an integrated cloud solution that ensures we can be reached offsite,” says Dr. Cross. “Today, I can immediately respond to requests from staff members, or review photographs and radiographs no matter where I am. That’s incredibly important for responding promptly to referrals and making sure our patients get timely answers to their questions.”

Staff at Bristol Dental Specialists also use the Teams mobile app to respond to queries and organize meetings wherever they are. “Having Teams available on your phone is quite a powerful thing,” says Dr. Watts, who recently used the Teams mobile app to conduct a virtual consultation with a prospective patient. “We had a quick Teams call at 12 noon and by three o‘clock that afternoon, she was in the chair having treatment done,” he says. “Having that initial Teams call completely truncated the overall start to finish time for treatment and reduced the time our patient had to spend in the chair by about 20 percent.”

Collaborating with colleagues for more personalized care

Staff at Bristol Dental Specialists also embrace Microsoft 365 to collaborate more efficiently with their colleagues. When the practice had to update standard operating policies in response to COVID-19, it entered new procedures into an ever-evolving document stored in Microsoft SharePoint Online. “We use SharePoint to update our standard operating procedure collaboratively rather than sending updates back and forth,” says Metcalfe. “It makes the workflow so much more efficient.” And, using the @mention feature, anyone who needs to view the updates or add to the document is notified directly from the app. Metcalfe also uses the @mention feature in Microsoft Excel, where she monitors patients’ progress and notifies colleagues of action items.

Metcalfe uses Microsoft Forms to simplify how she records daily checklists of equipment and inventory—a vital part of remaining compliant. In addition, Metcalfe uses Forms to record patient experiences following surgery. “I like to check up on patients after they’ve had surgery and see how they’re feeling,” she says. “I have Forms open in front of me to record their responses.” This information is automatically exported to an Excel spreadsheet and sent to the relevant practitioner’s email. “It’s a requirement for healthcare professionals to follow up with patients,” says Dr. Watts. Staff at Bristol Dental Specialists take advantage of the simplicity of Forms to be more responsive and involved post-surgery. “It’s a nice feeling to be able to check how your patients are doing even if you are away from the office,” says Dr. Watts. Metcalfe agrees that Microsoft productivity tools help practitioners deliver a higher standard of care. “The patients really benefit from the fact that we can all access the information we need anytime, anywhere, and monitor their journey closely,” she says. “It gives them a more personalized experience.”

Remaining secure and compliant with Microsoft 365

For Bristol Dental Specialists to enjoy the benefits of a digital-first workplace and leading-edge productivity tools, it had to be grounded in robust security. “We have to comply with GDPR as well as the specific compliance regulations for a dental practice,” says Dr. Cross. “I know that Microsoft is a trusted entity used by very large organizations, and that gave me confidence that Microsoft technology would meet the security needs of our dental practice.”

Today, Bristol Dental Specialists uses Azure Active Directory multifactor authentication for enhanced security and keeps confidential financial information protected with customized security settings. And, because dentists are required to hold their patient’s records for 11 years, Dr. Cross has set up a reminder in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center to delete sensitive data after the allotted time has passed. “There are so many useful tools that are already built into Microsoft 365 and Teams to help strengthen our security and compliance posture,” observes Dr. Cross. “I can easily manage the compliance features in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center to help us protect sensitive patient data and meet GDPR regulations.”

Differentiating patient care with leading-edge collaboration tools

Microsoft 365 and Teams suit a busy practice like Bristol Dental Specialists because the tools prioritize communication and remote collaboration—and help set the business apart. “Not everyone offers virtual consultations, which really help our patients get a feel for the practice and get all the information they need before they commit their time to coming into the clinic,” says Metcalfe.

As Bristol Dental Specialists continues to grow, the practice is turning to Teams to draw attention to its business and forge new relationships with the dental community. Recently, Dr. Cross and his colleagues hosted guest speakers in the field of dentistry in the facility’s lecture room and used Teams to record and broadcast the event throughout the building so that viewers could watch at a safe distance. “Every treatment room in our practice has a large screen, and we used Teams to display a live lecture from the Dean of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners to different areas of the building,” says Dr. Cross, who hopes to support more lectures in the future. “Dentists love to get together and share their experiences,” he adds. “When we are talking about teeth, we are in our element. Events like this are an important way for us to gain recognition and share a wealth of experience with the dental community.”

The true motivation for Bristol Dental Specialists’ cloud journey is providing the best possible patient care. And, with Microsoft 365 and Teams in place, the practice has the tools it needs to offer new ways of improving patient experience, such as virtual visits. “This is a really exciting practice, because everyone is open to new ways of working and exploring new technology,” concludes Metcalfe. “Communication is so important, and with Microsoft 365 and Teams. We’re working together better than ever to provide patients with a standard of care that sets us apart.”

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