Techno bytes
Voice over Internet protocol for the orthodontic practice: A sensible switch from plain old telephone service

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.09.048Get rights and content

Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a revolutionary new technology that is causing a stir in the telecommunications industry and threatening the existence of traditional telephone service providers. Based on a simple method of converting analog audio signals into digital data before being transmitted over the Internet, VoIP has gained immense popularity among consumers. The technology is now regarded as an alternative to traditional telephone service for the orthodontic office. When the economics are considered, it is cost-effective, especially for a busy orthodontic practice where the call volumes both in and out are always high. VoIP has the potential to reduce costs, break the barriers between local vs long-distance calling, and make life easier for the office staff. However, deploying VoIP requires a cautious and thought-out process. Users should fully understand the risks and benefits before switching from the public switched telephone network. VoIP customers and service providers are vulnerable to many of the same impersonation-based attacks by those who attempt toll fraud, and identity and information theft. In this article, VoIP is introduced to orthodontic practitioners, who might be unfamiliar with this technology. Internet protocol based private branch exchange systems that are currently marketed as open-source technologies are also reviewed. Additionally, VoIP is compared with the traditional public switched telephone network technology and evaluated for its potential applications in an orthodontic office for both increased efficiency and cost savings.

Section snippets

Discussion

The current circuit-switched networks will be eventually replaced with packet-switching technology as newer, more efficient technologies take shape.7 The differences between circuit-switched networks and packet-switched networks will be discussed later in this article. Switching to IP telephony makes sense from both economic and infrastructure viewpoints because this technology is bound to enter our offices and homes rapidly.

Various telecommunication companies that have sprung up in the recent

Conclusions

VoIP is an upcoming and dominant telecommunication technology that uses broadband to serve telecommunication needs in orthodontic practices and home offices. The technology is here to stay, and, in spite of what the skeptics say about technological shortcomings, it is already more affordable than the traditional plain old telephone service. VoIP can be easily installed in any office that has broadband connectivity. This article summarized the functionality of VoIP, the technology behind it, and

References (18)

  • M. Mupparapu et al.

    Use of a wireless local area network in an orthodontic clinic

    Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop

    (2005)
  • R. Valdes

    How VoIP works

  • Voice over Internet protocolUnderstanding the benefits of voice over IP (VoIP) versus traditional phone services

  • The future of regional BELLs

  • C.A. Lewis

    New broadband technology and how it will revolutionize paperless officesOrthod Cyber J

  • I.P. Voice over
  • Voice over IP

  • Research for IT professionals

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (7)

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text