Open Dental Forum

I'm part of a non-profit group that has a mobile unit in operation. Currently, OpenDental is hosted on a computer located in the mobile unit. The unit is obviously turned on when they're operating from 8am-5pm. Afterwards, the unit is powered down except for critical functions like the AC unit for dental material preservation. There is a mobile hotspot that's turned on during the day.

The assistants want to be able to do their notes remotely.

I haven't figured out a way to do this without any complicated setups involving an IT team, since this is a non-profit and we haven't budgeted for that this year.

Don't crucify me if this is a bad idea, but would putting the database on a sync service like Dropbox or Google Drive work, since the database will only be access from 1 location at a time? We could sync the mobile unit database to a computer located at the main office that's on 24/7 and have the assistants remote access into that computer instead. And when the mobile unit is turned back on with the hotspot, the database can sync back.

I know other options would be to: 1) put the database on a laptop and carry that around but my fear is the assistant losing the laptop or destroying it, 2) back up the database to USB, restore it, edit the notes, back it up to USB again, and restore it the next day to the mobile unit computer, but I'm looking for a more automated way.

Thanks.

I wouldn't put the database on a laptop and carry it around. That is a disaster waiting to happen.
Option 2, back up to a USB, restore, edit, back-up again, re-restore - Been there. Done that. Don't recommend it. Aside from being time consuming, at some point someone will forget or be unable to restore the edited database and you'll have two sets of the database that don't match and no way to merge them back together.
The simplest solution is to figure out a way to keep the computer with Open Dental on all the time and set up Windows Remote Desktop Connection, so you can remote in from home and work on your notes. Topaz sells a BSB signature pad that works remotely. It is a little complicated to set up, but they have good instructions on their website to walk you through it. You need to have some computer confidence to set it up, but you don't have to be an IT expert.

Here is a good article on how to make your remote desktop connection more secure:
https://www.howtogeek.com/175087/how-to ... n-windows/

I hope this can help, it may have few limitations:
1- You need to have OpenDental (server) hosted on a computer located at your main office that's on 24/7 and not the mobile unit
2- Using Team Viewer or the FREE Google Remote Desktop, and when you are operating from 8am-5pm, remote connect from the mobile unit to the main office
3- if you have any issues, Opendent Images folder could be placed in a dropbox and point to it. Some OD functions may need to be used a little differently.
https://opendental.com/manual/dropbox.html
4- Now your assistants will be able to do their notes remotely anytime by using Team Viewer or the FREE google Remote Desktop


MORE options are available here too:
https://opendental.com/manual/multiplelocations.html