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One of the things we hear a lot when talking about cloud dentistry is what about those dentists who are averse to technology? As humans we tend to lump people into buckets - those of us that like anchovies and those of us who do not. I prefer ice hockey, you prefer the Super Bowl. Technology can present a similar barrier - often highly polarizing - into those that embrace technology and those who fear it. The truth however is not always so simple.

It doesn't have to be a fear of hitting the wrong key and inadvertently deleting something that prevents someone from getting into new technologies. Or not knowing your mouse from your keyboard. Often the answer is that the technology fails to spark an interest in the person. How many "technology averse" people are there on Facebook? Lots! We all know people who swore that they would never go near a computer, only to see them now 'Like'-ing their son's holiday photo... or sharing a story about that really obscure topic that only interests them and one other person on the planet. Motivation is key and if technology doesn't engage with you then you won't enjoy the experience of using it. We're rational beings. We need to be engaged!

Likewise, particular technologies can get ignored by a wider audience because they are too complicated to use. Or too big to use. You might be interested in eliminating reams of paper charts from your practice and being a bit greener. And saving money. But the solutions you've looked at made you feel that you needed to bite off much more than you ever wanted to chew.

Before you knew it you were in a Sci-Fi film with a bewildering array of settings you needed to master, knobs and dials you had to twiddle and teeth you had to rotate until you collapsed in a dizzy spin. I don't want to talk about the ways we've solved this in ToothSuite in this post because instead I want to focus on how good technology should feel when you use it. It should make you feel empowered, light and productive. As you move through a product or service it should let you focus on one thing at a time and discover new features with the same sense of realisation as if you were playing a game. This is the kind of technology we love at ToothSuite - you should feel like Superman but you shouldn't have to learn how to master all his super powers!

This is the kind of technology that we believe will reach out to all dentists, not just those with a technical appetite, and deliver an experience that really improves your daily life in the dental practice. We want to build out a community that develops the conversation, not just around patient management, but around all the recurring aspects of technology in dentistry, from how to use things like social media to your advantage to better securing your practice.

We want to be a platform for all dentists - and not segregate the dental community into the various buckets of the past. We invite you to join us in this project. Get involved on Facebook or Twitter. Fire a question on to us via email. Or, if you prefer, even send us an old fashioned (but still effective!) snail mail by post - and help us build out an inclusive, exciting and independent dental community for all dentists.

Warmest regards,
Declan McGrath
ToothSuite Community Manager