Treeline Dental Care shares the four Cs – the secret formula for a truly integrated digital workflow in dentistry that puts patients first.
Treeline’s co-founder Dr Jimmey Palahey was quick to embrace the benefits that an integrated digital workflow could bring to his dental practice group in the east midlands and south Yorkshire. With a focus on improving the patient-journey, while embedding efficiencies in time and cost, Treeline now focuses on the four Cs across its group.
The four Cs cover:
- Comfort with digital impressions eliminating the discomfort of traditional putty moulds
- Clarity using on-screen visuals and treatment simulations to help patients understand their treatment options more clearly
- Convenience with automated reminders and digital bookings to make managing appointments easier
- Continuity with real-time access to records ensuring that if patients move from one clinician to another within the group, they don’t need to be responsible for repeating information.
This all contributes to a more efficient, transparent, and patient-centred experience.
Predictability, quality and patient experience
Dr Jimmey Palahey said: ‘Digital dentistry is about more than just adopting new technology, it’s about improving predictability, quality, and what is very important to me – the overall patient experience. Our digital workflow commitment reflects a broader vision of continuous innovation and excellence. As we continue to grow, we are ensuring that all our practices are aligned in delivering a consistent, modern, and patient-focused approach to care. For us, it has made efficiency the core.’
Having a truly digital workflow means ensuring digital tools and technologies are part of every single step of a patient’s journey. For Treeline, this is from a patient’s initial consultation and diagnostics session, to the treatment planning – and then the clinical delivery and follow-up care.
Jimmey is transparent that incorporating digital into a dental practice is quite an undertaking and it is okay for it to be approached in stages. Treeline’s transition began with the adoption of digital patient records, digital radiography, and intraoral scanners which are used to take digital impressions. Digital radiography is in place for routine imaging, offering clearer results with reduced radiation, and CBCT imaging provides advanced 3D imaging for more complex diagnostic and treatment planning needs.
Diagnostic accuracy
Jimmey also enthuses about the ability of high-resolution digital imaging to enhance diagnostic accuracy, which enables detection of issues earlier on in the process. Digital records allow for side-by-side comparisons over time and enable 3D visualisation which is particularly helpful for orthodontic, restorative, and implant dentistry.
In answer to the question of just how integrated digital planning is at Treeline, Jimmey explains that they currently have full integration of digital lab communication systems, streamlined recall systems using automated workflows, and cloud-based practice management software implemented across all sites for real-time data access and better operational visibility.
The Treeline team have embraced the digital approach, since treatment planning allows their clinicians to take instant measurements, run simulations, and visualise outcomes, reducing the margin for error and speeding up the decision-making process. Centralised digital records give all clinicians access to consistent, up-to-date patient information, improving clinical decisions and eliminating duplicated efforts. And then again, in practical terms, automated appointment reminders reduce the risk of forgotten appointments, which helps to run a more cost effective practice.
Seamless collaboration with laboratories
It is not just the patient and the team who benefit from operating a fully-integrated digital workflow. When working with the labs, Jimmey is delighted to see how this now enables seamless collaboration between his practices and the laboratories.
He said: ‘The ability to instantly share digital scans, images, and case notes reduces waiting times and the risk of miscommunication. The labs we work with can view cases in real-time and request any adjustments immediately – which means that their production can start sooner. A digital approach means that the audit trail is very clear, minimising the risk of error and improving transparency and accountability throughout the process.
‘What’s not to love? This integration allows for smoother workflows, faster turnaround times, and higher-quality outcomes for the patient.’
Discover more about Treeline Dental here.
This article is sponsored by Treeline Dental.
