# IT Support for Dental Practices Source: https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/it-support-for-dental-practices/ Updated: 2026-10-10 > dijitul support provides IT support for UK dental practices: technical evidence for the annual Data Security and Protection Toolkit, PCs and networks for practice software and digital X-ray, encrypted backups and secure email. The Complete plan at £99 a month + VAT includes a helpdesk for reception and clinical staff, and ad-hoc work is £45 an hour + VAT. ## Common symptoms - The DSPT asks for evidence of patching, backups and MFA and you are not sure where to find it - An X-ray or scanner PC still runs Windows 10 because the imaging software was never updated - Reception PCs freeze when the appointment book and card terminal are both busy - Patients connect to the same Wi-Fi as your clinical PCs - Backups run to a USB drive that has not been checked in months - Staff share one login on surgery PCs ## Key facts - Practices holding an NHS dental contract complete the DSPT every year, with a 30 June deadline - Technical evidence for the DSPT: patching, MFA, encryption, backups, supported operating systems and device lists - Support for the PCs and network behind practice software such as Exact, R4 and Dentally - Imaging PCs for intraoral sensors, OPG units and scanners kept on supported Windows versions - Separate guest Wi-Fi for patients, kept apart from clinical and reception networks - Complete plan £99 a month + VAT; ad-hoc £45 an hour + VAT; on-site installs quoted ## The DSPT for dental practices The Data Security and Protection Toolkit is an annual online self-assessment run by NHS England. Dental practices that hold an NHS contract are expected to complete it, and the deadline each year is 30 June. Missing it can affect access to NHS systems and is visible to commissioners. Much of the toolkit is policy and training, which your practice manager owns. A significant part, though, asks technical questions: are devices on supported software, are security updates applied, is MFA in place for remote access and email, are laptops encrypted, are backups taken and tested, and is there an up-to-date list of equipment. Those answers come from your IT. We collect that technical evidence for you: device inventories, patch status, BitLocker reports, backup and restore test records and firewall settings. That way your practice manager can answer the toolkit honestly and quickly rather than guessing. ## Practice software, imaging and old Windows Most practices run their appointment book, charting and patient records on software such as Exact from Software of Excellence, R4 from Carestream Dental, or the cloud-based Dentally. NHS claims go to the NHS Business Services Authority, either from the practice software or through the Compass portal. Imaging is where IT often falls behind. Intraoral sensors, OPG units and intraoral scanners rely on specific drivers and capture software, and suppliers sometimes certify only certain versions of Windows. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025, so any imaging PC still on it needs a plan: an update to the imaging software, Extended Security Updates where available, or isolating the PC on its own network segment while a replacement is arranged. We work with your imaging and software suppliers rather than around them, because changing drivers on a capture PC without their input can stop the sensor working mid-appointment. ## Networks, Wi-Fi and card terminals A typical practice has reception PCs, surgery PCs, an imaging server, card terminals, phones and patient Wi-Fi all sharing one broadband line. When something saturates the connection, the appointment book slows and card payments time out. We separate patient Wi-Fi from the clinical network, set sensible bandwidth priorities, check switches and cabling, and make sure card terminals have a reliable connection. If calls are part of the problem, see our VoIP phone support. For Wi-Fi dead spots in older buildings, see Wi-Fi support. ## Backups, email and patient data Patient records are special category data under UK GDPR. If your practice software is installed locally, the database must be backed up daily, copied off site and tested by restoring it. A USB drive that nobody checks does not count. We set up monitored backups and record restore tests for your DSPT evidence. See data backup and recovery. For email, many practices use NHSmail for clinical correspondence and Microsoft 365 for everything else. We secure Microsoft 365 with MFA, set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC so appointment reminders and invoices are delivered, and give each staff member their own login so access can be audited. ## Logins, staff and phishing Shared logins on surgery PCs are common because clinicians move between rooms all day. The trouble is that nobody can tell who opened which record, and a single leaked password opens everything. We give each team member their own account and use fast user switching or short screen-lock timers so logging in stays quick between patients. Reception teams receive a steady flow of emails from labs, suppliers, patients and the NHS, which makes them a natural target for phishing. According to the UK Government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, phishing was the most common type of attack, reported by 38% of businesses. We turn on external sender warnings, filter attachments and give staff short, practical training. See staff security training. ## Plans and prices for dental practices Most practices choose the **Complete plan at £99 a month + VAT**, which includes updates, daily backups, monitoring, 3 hours of fixes or changes each month, and IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk support for the whole team. If you only need your website looked after, Essential at £25 a month + VAT or Business at £50 a month + VAT may be enough. One-off work is £45 an hour + VAT. Network rewiring, imaging PC replacement and on-site installs are quoted upfront. See pricing or ask for a quote. ## FAQs ### Do dental practices have to complete the DSPT? Practices holding an NHS dental contract are expected to complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit every year, with a 30 June deadline. dijitul gathers the technical evidence, such as patch status, encryption and backup tests, so your practice manager can complete it accurately. ### Our X-ray PC runs Windows 10. Is that a problem? Yes. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on 14 October 2025, so the PC no longer gets normal security updates. dijitul works with your imaging supplier on an upgrade path and, in the meantime, can isolate the PC on its own network to reduce the risk. ### Can you support Exact, R4 or Dentally? We support the PCs, servers, network and Microsoft 365 that your practice software depends on, and we liaise with the software supplier when the fault is in their product. The software licence and its configuration stay with the supplier. ### How much does IT support for a dental practice cost? dijitul's Complete plan is £99 a month + VAT and includes a helpdesk for your team and 3 hours of fixes each month. Ad-hoc work is £45 an hour + VAT. On-site installs and imaging PC replacements are quoted before work starts. ### Should patients have their own Wi-Fi? Yes. Patient Wi-Fi should be on a separate network so a visitor's device can never reach your clinical PCs or imaging server. dijitul can set up a guest network with its own password and bandwidth limit on most business routers and access points. ## Pricing and contact Support plans from £25 a month + VAT, or £45 an hour + VAT for one-off fixes. Plans: Essential £25/month + VAT (Website software updates (core, plugins, themes) applied and checked, Daily backups, Uptime monitoring, Security monitoring); Business £50/month + VAT (Everything in Essential, 1 hour of fixes or changes every month, Priority support); Complete £99/month + VAT (Everything in Business, 3 hours of fixes or changes every month, IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk for your team). Ad-hoc support is £45 an hour + VAT. The first 30 minutes are the minimum charge, then we bill in 15-minute blocks. Contact: 01623 650333, support@dijitul.uk, https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/contact/