The Digital Dental Project is part of a large on-going programme of work.  This project will be building on the work already completed in the Titanium Upgrade project which has now been successfully concluded. The aim of the Titanium Upgrade Project was to implement system improvements to the Faculty’s patient management system which provides the core of an electronic patient file, the appointment book and retrospective treatment details.  Paper files are currently still in use and required to hold hard copies of x-rays, treatment notes and other notes.

The benefits of implementing this capability are to access and update the following patient information at the chairside:

• Access the patient’s records including clinical history;
• To be able to enter new details for the current treatment regime;
• To complete online referrals, submissions to external health providers and communications to patients;
• To take digital photographic images and digital x-rays and consult previous similar images;
• To update the patient files to record the treatment and follow-up course of action;
• To manage appointment books; and
• To create an invoice for fees payable as a result of the treatment.

The primary objective of the Digital Dental Project is the integration of all of these components at the chairside using digital media and removing the reliance on paper based files.

The business case made specific references to exclusions that have subsequently been identified as crucial to the successful implementation of the Digital Dental project. These have also been included in the overall programme of work.

On completion of this project, the staff, clinicians and students will have all the elements necessary to view the data and information required to treat patients at the chairside without resorting to the use of paper based files and analogue images.