How Did it Start: 

The Dental R.A.T. was inspired by a dental hygienist who was tired of waiting for assistants and using frustrating devices relying on voice or pressure to enter probe readings. After years of inquiring and asking for something that could be operated withes the foot that is hands-free, reliable, simple and quiet that would work with any software or system and not compromise the operator’s existing environment. The reply was always “No, nothing yet.” Driven by frustration and the voice of fellow hygienists and the help of Air Track Electronics, http://www.airtrack-electronics.com/ the Dental R.A.T. (Remote Access Terminal) was born, a hands-free way to take probe readings, tracking periodontal disease.  

Beckmer Products is a company dedicated to alternative hands-free solutions to data entry, challenging the dental and medical industry.

Beckmer Products Inc. is an emerging, custom electronic device company that specializes in developing and marketing foot-operated, data input devices for the worldwide dental industry. Beckmer has accumulated over three years of experience developing and introducing its first application for dental offices and schools, across the country and across the world.

The dental industry is moving quickly into the Information Age. Computers and digital devices are increasingly being integrated into dental offices and practices. With digital radiography and digital photography technologies becoming more commonplace, dental offices need to add these types of technologies to stay competitive.

What do the Doctors Say?

Better Care; Increased Productivity - Dr. Lorne Lavine
"As a technology consultant, I’m always looking for products that can improve the quality of our patient care and increase staff productivity. That’s why I’m so impressed with the Dental R.A.T…it does all of that with excellent technology and at a cost-effective price. I’ll be recommending the Dental R.A.T. to all of my clients."
Lorne Lavine, DMD, President - Dental Technology Consultants

Satisfied Hygienists - Dr. Scott A Wright
"I am writing to you with a sincere thank you and “Way-to-go” on your new product. The Remote Access Terminal (Dental R.A.T.) is a time saver extraordinary! We have had three terminals in our office and it really frees up our staff for more productive use of their time. Patients love the incorporation of the technology and they know they are receiving better care and more timely follow-ups. Our hygienists are more satisfied as well knowing that what they do is more complete for their patients. All in all this device has been a long time coming and it has been a boon to our practice.. Welcome to the 21st century!!"

Scott A. Wright, DDS
The Perfect Hands-Free Solution - Dr. Keith Asarkof
"The Dental R.A.T. has filled a tremendous void in my office operation. I have tried voice activated periodontal charting. This technology was extremely finicky. Eventually, it failed all together and could not be resuscitated by my tech support team. I investigated an automated periodontal probe. This technology was too complex for my needs and extremely expensive. I constantly found myself pulling a staff member from other duties to assist me with my periodontal charting. Needless to say, this created stress in the practice. The Dental R.A.T. has been the perfect solution. It is easy to use, relatively inexpensive to purchase, and becomes a useful patient education tool when hooked up to a speaker. It is now simple for me to remain in compliance with periodontal record keeping standards. I highly recommend the R.A.T. for any office where interface between the dentists/hygienists and the computers is required."
Keith Asarkof, DMD Lexington, MA

What do the Hygienist Say?

Dental R.A.T. Makes The Most Sense - Patti DiGangi, RDH

“The Dental R.A.T. makes the most sense and one of the easiest ways to take our charting and diagnosis to a higher level without further injuring our own bodies to do so. Hygienists are accustomed to using their hands- now its time to use our feet too!” Patti DiGangi, RDH, BS
Convenient, Hands-Free, Patient Friendly - Vickie Weaver, RDH

"I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed using your terrific foot operated mouse. There is such a need for hands-free, no hassle equipment of this nature. With your R.A.T., I love being able to review X-rays and take full mouth probing using my feet for the controls. Hands-free gives me a convenient way to offer more for my patient's visit. Yes, I have an assistant to help me, but for those quick moments when I want another view of the bite wings or to check a pocket, the foot control is unobtrusive and easy to operate. Documentation becomes easier and I can concentrate on the patient and her needs. Thank you for finding a way to make a hygienist's day more efficient and fun at the same time. Thank you again. your design is terrific."
Vickie Weaver, BS, RDH 

Consistent Perio Charting - Penny Loucks, RDH
"I am writing in response to the R.A.T. I love it!!! It is so easy to use! For the first time in 25 years of practicing hygiene I am completely consistent with my perio charting. Thank you!"
Penny Loucks, RDH

Easy To Learn - Michelle Heil, RDH
"I am a hygienist of 18 years with 16 years perio experience. In my years of practice I have always struggled with charting single-handedly. Keeping a sterile environment or over utilizing the dental assistants has been an ongoing challenge. I was thrilled to try the voice activated perio charting but quickly became frustrated due to the lack of technology which led to many errors. The Dental R.A.T. has been a true fix for this persistent problem. I have found it to be easy to learn, quick and convenient to use and overall dramatic solution to hygienists’ ability to chart alone. The entire staff has felt a welcome drop in the stress level of our perio office due to the assistants not being pulled in many different directions.
I would strongly recommend every dental office add the Dental R.A.T. to each hygiene operatory!"
Michelle Heil, BS, RDH

Thorough and Easy Perio Charting - Natalie Barrett, RDH
"As a hygienist the R.A.T. helps me to be more thorough and complete with ease. I am able to quickly perio chart and give me, the dentist and the patient the current data and treat the patient appropriately for the conditions I find, I love it!"
Natalie Barrett, RDH

Convenient and Accurate the First Time - Sophie P., RDH
"I love having the convenience to chart all my perio readings when I want to and accurately the first time!"
Sophie P.,RDH,BS