When an employee leaves a dental practice, their access to business systems should be reviewed and removed promptly and through a documented process.
A former employee may have access to email, Microsoft 365, Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, cloud applications, shared files, remote-access tools, or other systems. Missing even one important account can create unnecessary security and privacy risk.
Use this five-step offboarding framework:
Identify → Disable → Protect → Transfer → Verify
1. Identify Every Account the Employee Used
Before removing access, identify the systems associated with that employee.
These may include:
- Microsoft 365 and email
- Dentrix, Open Dental, or Eaglesoft
- Imaging systems
- Patient communication platforms
- Cloud applications
- Remote-access tools
- Shared files
- Accounting or payment systems
- Vendor portals
- Practice social media accounts
Maintaining an employee access list makes this much easier.
2. Disable Access Promptly
The practice should have a defined process for coordinating account changes when employment ends.
Depending on the employee's role, this may include disabling:
- Email access
- Microsoft 365
- Remote access
- Practice-management software
- Cloud applications
- VPN accounts
- Building or physical access
- Other business systems
Don't rely on someone remembering every account after the employee has already left.
3. Protect Shared Accounts and Credentials
Shared passwords create additional problems during employee turnover.
If a departing employee knows credentials for a shared business account, determine whether those credentials should be changed.
Better yet, reduce unnecessary shared accounts and give employees individual credentials whenever practical.
This improves both security and accountability.
4. Preserve and Transfer Business Information
Disabling an account shouldn't accidentally eliminate information the practice needs.
Before accounts are deleted, determine whether the practice needs to preserve or transfer:
- Business email
- Documents
- Calendar information
- Shared files
- Vendor information
- Other practice records
The appropriate process will depend on the system and the employee's responsibilities.
5. Verify That Access Is Actually Gone
Finish the process with verification.
Ask:
- Is email access disabled?
- Is remote access removed?
- Are dental-software permissions updated?
- Are important cloud applications covered?
- Have shared credentials been reviewed?
- Has necessary business information been preserved?
- Has the offboarding process been documented?
The goal is simple:
No forgotten accounts. No unnecessary access.
Why Offboarding Matters for Dental Practices
Dental employees may interact with systems containing sensitive patient and business information.
That makes employee access management more than an HR task.
It is also a cybersecurity, privacy, and operational issue.
A documented process helps the practice consistently remove access instead of relying on memory each time someone leaves.
Why Dental Practices Choose IT Services of Utah
IT Services of Utah has supported businesses for more than 30 years and works with dental practices throughout St. George and Washington County, Utah.
We can help practices manage areas such as:
- Microsoft 365 accounts
- Employee access
- MFA
- Remote access
- Cybersecurity
- Workstations
- Dental technology
- HIPAA-focused IT considerations
Our local, internal support team also understands dental environments using Dentrix, Dexis, Open Dental, Eaglesoft, imaging systems, and other connected technologies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly should access be removed when an employee leaves?
The timing should be coordinated with the practice's management and HR process, but account access should not remain active simply because nobody remembered to disable it.
Should we delete a former employee's email immediately?
Not necessarily. The practice may need to preserve or transfer business information before an account is deleted. Disabling access and deleting data are separate decisions.
Who should be responsible for employee offboarding?
Practice management and the IT provider should have clearly defined responsibilities. HR or management communicates the employment change, while IT handles the appropriate technology-access changes.
Do You Have a Dental Employee Offboarding Checklist?
Don't wait until an employee leaves to figure out which accounts need attention.
Remember:
Identify. Disable. Protect. Transfer. Verify.
For dental practices in St. George and Washington County, Utah, IT Services of Utah can help create a repeatable technology offboarding process that reduces forgotten accounts and unnecessary access.
Schedule a Dental IT & Cybersecurity Assessment with IT Services of Utah to review employee access and identify gaps in your onboarding and offboarding process.
