10 Ways We Made CheckUp Better for Dentists in 2020
By Bronwyn Woolfrey, Jan 26, 2021
2020 was a year of numerous changes – many of which were outside our control and many had implications for dental practices around the world.
As we leave last year in our rearview, we wanted to look back on how Bluelight CheckUp changed in 2020, and how we used customer feedback to make it better for dentists. (If you have any suggestions for what we should add to CheckUp in 2021, then let us know in the comments!)
Read on for our top 10 CheckUp improvements from 2020 that were built to bring dentists more actionable curing insights and bring patients increased restoration security.
Dentistry is a team sport and CheckUp needed to get off the bench and into the game. We added multi-user support so that as a dentist, you can add yourself, your admin, your assistant and your dog (although why your dog is testing your curing lights remains a mystery to me), all to the same practice and see each other’s results.
So if one person tests, the others on your team can use that information and avoid duplicate work. Plus you can also now add users yourself, without leaving the app.
Multi-user support was a game-changer for individual practices. Multi-practice support was the next natural step for CheckUp to work better for rotating dentists, dental service organizations, and corporate dentists.
If you have more than one practice you’re overseeing, CheckUp can tell you what’s going on with light curing protocols at each, without needing to call or drive over in-person.
Our multi-practice feature was a major development for business managers wanting remote oversight during the pandemic, and the enhancements here will keep coming!
You spoke, we listened. One of the things about building an app is that you become so familiar with it that you forget what it might look like to someone who has never seen it before.
In 2020 we put extra focus on making it easier for dentists to get started with CheckUp. We achieved that by redesigning the account setup process and by adding video tutorial links and explanations for various elements throughout the app.
Testing a curing light was the main task our customers performed in CheckUp in 2020, so we wanted to make that process smoother.
We added the ability to start a test from almost anywhere in the app, improved our light mode selection screens, and added some fun in the form of a real-time feedback graph and a happy chime for when your results appear.
One of the best and worst parts of creating data is trying to look back through it. We’ve started to make it less painless by cleaning up how CheckUp shows test history and adding more options for customers to view the past and present of their light testing.
We know there is plenty of room to grow here, and we’ve started by increasing focus on cure times and improving the ease of navigation through recorded tests.
We’ve also given dentists the ability to add annotations to tests to indicate damage, debris, or infection control barriers, so you can better understand your results when you look back at them.
In 2020 we made the CheckUp app even easier to navigate. Whatever job you’re logging in to do, we have you covered, with the most important functions listed on a navigation bar at the bottom, and accessory items shuffled away into the side menu.
The crowning jewel is the new support tab that can be accessed from any page. That means you can easily reach for help wherever you are in the app, and our friendly support staff will be available to answer your questions.
Dentists have limited time to wander around looking for the information they need, so we put the most crucial insights front and center in a new summary screen, which gathers the most urgent curing issues for your attention.
Now you can save time and put your effort where it counts by seeing what equipment needs testing or maintenance, right from the CheckUp homepage.
Dollars at risk is our way of highlighting the impact that infrequent testing can have on your dental practice.
Every time you test a curing light, you can be sure that the output you expect is what you’re delivering. But when you put off testing, you’re gambling with your patient outcomes and billable hours.
Helping dentists to visualize the cost of redoing compromised restorations is our way of encouraging CheckUp activities that help keep clinics safe, efficient, and confident in their curing protocols.
Our goals for CheckUp are similar to yours – we want a good cure, a happy patient, and an efficient practice.
As a treat for our CheckUp customers at the end of 2020, we introduced shareable badges to give recognition to our top light testers.
We hope they help encourage test-happy dentists to keep up the good work and motivate more competitive types to see where they’re lacking and how to achieve their testing goals.
With the new CheckUp web view, much of the data that you collect through CheckUp can now be displayed on a big screen, including curing times and history.
This beta feature is an experimental extension of CheckUp and we’re excited to explore how we can put the information you value most on the big screen in your operatory.
What’s next for CheckUp?
You tell us! We have lots of new features and upgrades planned (check out the highlights below), but we want to hear from you. What are you looking forward to in 2021? Tell us in the comments below!
💡 New curing light models
We’ve expanded our ever-growing curing light library into uncharted territory with the new QuadWave technology of PinkWave. We’ll be showing irradiance for this extra-broad spectrum light by February 2021.
💡 Enhanced data
The CheckUp web view has opened up opportunities to display new types of information like historical irradiance so dentists can track degrading lights. What are you hoping to see? Tell us below!
💡 New look
At the end of 2020 you may have noticed some updates to the CheckUp dress code, hinting at more changes to come. Our design team is throwing out the old in an effort to reinvent a fresh new CheckUp that’s ready to roar in 2021.
💡 Material organization & matching
Focus on materials is a growing priority, with organization, repurchasing, and light-material matching top of mind. We’re planning to leverage our materials database in new ways in 2021 to help dentists use and manage their materials more efficiently.
💡 Infection control & distance impact
One of the things that CheckUp does very well is measure a regular curing light on a sensor. But we recognize that most restorations don’t happen in ideal conditions.
We’re looking critically at our tech to bring you more real-life irradiance, focusing more on the impact of infection control barriers, distance, and wavelengths.
💡 Safety regulations
Keeping patients safe is a top priority for dentists and for Bluelight. With clever marketing and low prices, sometimes the most tempting product purchases can be dangerous.
We’re aiming to include extra information in CheckUp like FDA approval and safety standards, to help guide your buying habits and keep patients safe.
Let us know what you’d like to see added to CheckUp in 2021 by commenting below!