My friends, let's talk about darts and arrows. Many years ago, when I first started working in the dental profession for Dentrix Dental Systems, I had the distinct pleasure to work under Larry Gibson, the found of the company. One thing he said about darts and arrows that I'll always remember: If you're a leader the arrows will always be in the back.

Curve Dental is a definitely a leader when it comes to the cloud. So we do get our share of darts and arrows from mean people. In response, I'm presenting the top ten silly things mean people say about the cloud.

The first one: Your IT pro says it's a bad idea.

I love the IT pros who work specifically in dental. They are the sharpest bunch and I have great respect for them and their association, the Dental Integrators Association. They're working very hard to continually raise the bar with regard to customer service. When I hear an IT pro pooh-pooh the cloud it's usually because they're unfamiliar with us. Here's what we hear:

First, they feel your moving to the cloud is a threat to their business. You don't need a server, you don't need help installing upgrades or managing backups. That cuts into their pocketbook a bit. But, like I said, many IT companies have embraced the cloud; it makes their job easier. Once your IT pro does some soul searching I'm sure they'll come that realization, too.

Second, some IT pros thing your data isn't safe on the cloud. This objection is based on the fact that your IT pro doesn't know us, and it's a fair concern. We invite your IT pro to call us, visit with us, learn more about how we're setup with multiple redundant servers in multiple geographical locations and they'll actually get pretty excited by what we've accomplished.

Third, some IT guys don't think the cloud can handle your imaging needs. The very first thing they'll say is the cloud can't handle 3D imaging. And they're right. So, for those few docs who actually have a 3D system, you're going to keep you images local. But, for bitewings and pan's, we got you covered. Let's not make the mistake of losing track of what makes the practice productive: It's all those bitewings you're taking every day. If you can upload full-color photographs to Facebook in an instance, surely you can capture a black and white bitewing to the cloud just as fast. So don't get panicked by 3D images. Let's stay focused on the bread and butter.