About Solstice Smiles Dental Solstice Smiles Dental opened in November 2021 in Washington, D.C., as a startup scratch practice founded by Dr. Leslie-Anne Fitzpatrick-Bennett. The four-operatory family-style practice provides comprehensive dental services to patients of all ages, from preventive care to minor surgical procedures, including placing and restoring implants. Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett equipped her practice with […]
Solstice Smiles Dental opened in November 2021 in Washington, D.C., as a startup scratch practice founded by Dr. Leslie-Anne Fitzpatrick-Bennett. The four-operatory family-style practice provides comprehensive dental services to patients of all ages, from preventive care to minor surgical procedures, including placing and restoring implants.
Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett equipped her practice with state-of-the-art technology, including intraoral scanners, a CBCT machine, and advanced diagnostic aids. With a team of five to six professionals, Solstice Smiles relies on reliable dental IT services to support every aspect of patient care—from digital X-rays and imaging to practice management and patient records.
Opening a dental practice from scratch required Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett to make critical decisions about her technology infrastructure. She needed dental IT services that could provide:
Most importantly, Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett needed IT services in Washington, D.C. from a company she could trust completely—one that would treat her practice with the same care she provides to patients.
Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett’s search led her to NOVA Computer Solutions, referred by a colleague who had used NOVA’s dental IT services to set up their office.
“I had a lot of conversations with Dan, the owner of NOVA,” Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett recalls. “He was so personable and helpful to just walk me through what a new practice would need from IT. It just gave me that kind of family feel.“
The personalized approach stood out immediately. “It was very custom, very focused on what I wanted for my practice, as opposed to just giving me a generic ‘here’s what we offer, take it or leave it’ kind of thing,” she explains.
She appreciated how NOVA presented options: “If there was something that I was specifically looking for, he was willing to walk me through, ‘Okay, these are your options. This is ideal. This is something that could work but maybe not ideal.’ It was kind of like how I would talk to my patients about treatment options.“
Geographic proximity was crucial. “My practice is in DC, so the fact that NOVA was located in Northern Virginia, which is fairly close to my practice, meant that I would have opportunities for in-person support should I need it.“
Having local dental IT services meant confidence that when hardware issues arise, a technician with expertise could be on-site quickly.
NOVA’s experience working with design-build companies proved invaluable. “They worked very closely together to coordinate the actual planning and scheduling,” Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett explains. Their familiarity with Arminco meant “once I signed off on the proposal, I really didn’t have much else to do.”
The flexible payment structure also provided peace of mind: “Final payment wasn’t due until the very end when they knew that I was satisfied with everything I received.”
The setup was “pretty streamlined. I did not have any issues, to be honest, with the way that NOVA was integrated into the whole design-build process.”
Nearly four years later, Solstice Smiles continues to rely on NOVA’s comprehensive dental IT services in Washington, D.C.
“They are in the background doing their thing,” Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett explains. “Thankfully, I haven’t had any major issues. I receive periodic updates from the security system, but I really don’t have to do anything.“
She trusts NOVA’s dental IT services completely: “They’re very well-versed in the dental field, so they know what’s required in terms of HIPAA, cybersecurity, making sure that there are no breaches, making sure the office is compliant with all of that stuff. It’s seamless.”
The result? “We haven’t had any issues to date. And it’s been almost four years.“
“NOVA is very responsive,” Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett emphasizes. “We would essentially call and give them a summary of what’s going on. We would speak to someone and then we’ll get connected with an appropriate technician.“
Most issues are resolved remotely. “We have not had any periods of prolonged downtime when it comes to any technical issues. NOVA is always available pretty much right away to address the situation.“
NOVA’s willingness to coordinate with other vendors is invaluable. “If it’s an issue with our practice management software, they pretty much take it off of our hands, and they work with the practice management software to resolve the issue. We make the initial call, they diagnose, they work with the other partners, and we’re just in the background.“
NOVA’s dental IT services extend beyond standard hours. “Our office opens at 9:00 a.m. Usually, we have somebody to support us prior to us opening if something should happen beforehand. And they’ll take care of it after we leave if we need support after we leave as well.“
For hardware issues requiring in-person attention, “they usually will have somebody out here within a day or two.” The proximity of NOVA’s Northern Virginia location to the D.C. practice means “someone can come out to us fairly quickly.”
NOVA’s familiarity with dental technology accelerates troubleshooting. “We use Dentrix in our office. They’re pretty familiar with it. Usually they’re able to figure out what the situation is, and if they can’t, they communicate directly with Dentrix support to help troubleshoot the issue.”
“Their customer service is great,” Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett emphasizes. “Very kind and polite and understanding of any technological shortcomings we may have. They are always willing to help. Never ever had a concern about customer service.”
The technicians are both proficient and reliable: “Most of the technicians, the first time around, get it done, and if they can’t, they figure it out. We always feel confident that if we call them, we’ll get it resolved.”
Thanks to NOVA’s dental IT services expertise and responsiveness, Solstice Smiles has experienced remarkably little technology-related downtime over nearly four years. This reliability allows the practice to focus on providing exceptional patient care rather than worrying about technology failures.
HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity are handled seamlessly by NOVA’s dental IT services, allowing Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett to focus on clinical care rather than IT security concerns.
As Solstice Smiles has grown over four years, NOVA has been there as a reliable partner, providing the responsive, expert dental IT services the practice needs.
When asked what she would tell another practice considering NOVA’s dental IT services, Dr. Fitzpatrick-Bennett was emphatic:
“Very attentive, excellent customer service, very knowledgeable about IT—dental-specific IT. Because you can get any IT company. You can have a friend who is an IT person try to set it up, but the fact that they are a dental-specific company is what is really important if you’re trying to get it set up for a dental practice.”
She emphasizes NOVA’s comprehensive dental expertise: “It’s everything from the hardware to the software and to their knowledge of various dental-specific practice management software, dental-specific X-ray software, dental-specific X-ray hardware. So the dental-specific nature is what I would focus on. As well as their responsiveness and their excellent customer service.“
NOVA Computer Solutions is the #1 rated provider of dental IT services in the United States, serving dental practices, orthodontists, oral surgeons, and dental service organizations since 2000. Providing IT services in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Maryland, and nationwide, NOVA offers:
Dan De Steno, Owner of NOVA, is the President of the Board of Directors for the Dental Integrators Association. NOVA is also a CRN Top 501 MSP. NOVA Computer Solutions combines deep dental industry expertise with technical excellence to provide the personalized, reliable dental IT services practices need to thrive.
Planning a new practice or looking to upgrade your dental IT services in Washington, D.C.? Contact NOVA Computer Solutions today. Call (703) 499-8760 to get started.
“The fact that they are a dental-specific company is what is really important if you’re trying to get it set up for a dental practice. It’s everything from the hardware to the software and to their knowledge of various dental-specific practice management software, dental-specific X-ray software, dental-specific X-ray hardware.”
— Dr. Leslie-Anne Fitzpatrick-Bennett, Owner, Solstice Smiles Dental
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