At its core, Beckmer Products Inc. based in Meridian, ID, the company behind the Dental R.A.T.™ 2.0, was founded to solve a real and persistent challenge in dental clinics: how to efficiently and accurately document periodontal charting without tying up clinical staff, risking cross‑contamination, or relying on unreliable technologies. Founded by dental professionals with deep experience in dental offices and teaching environments, the company specializes in hands‑free data input devices that reshape how clinicians interact with their computers during clinical procedures.
The Dental RAT — short for Remote Access Terminal — emerged from this mission as a simple yet powerful solution designed specifically for the dental operatory. Rather than forcing clinicians to manually enter periodontal data or depend on voice recognition (which can struggle in busy operatory environments), the Dental R.A.T. places control at your feet. This foot‑operated input device eliminates the need for an assistant simply to sit and click or chart while the clinician’s hands are busy, freeing the entire team to work more efficiently and hygienically.
Traditional periodontal charting can be labor‑intensive and disruptive. Hygienists often need to switch between instruments and computers, increasing the risk of cross‑contamination and requiring staff members to interrupt their workflow to assist. Previous alternatives such as voice recognition systems were often “finicky,” with accuracy issues in noisy clinical settings, and digital probes or automated systems were frequently expensive and difficult to integrate.
Dental RAT was created precisely to address these pain points:
Hands‑free operation that keeps hygienists’ hands where they belong — focused on the patient.
No need for extra software or complicated installs — just plug into a USB port and go, working with the periodontal charting software you already use.
Audio feedback that repeats charting numbers aloud through speakers or a headset — improving patient education and engagement during hygiene visits.
By solving these issues, the Dental R.A.T. dramatically improves workflow without forcing clinics to overhaul their systems or retrain staff on expensive new platforms.
There are a few key reasons why the Dental R.A.T. stands out compared with other technologies in dentistry:
1. Plug‑and‑Play Simplicity
Unlike many periodontal charting solutions that require software downloads or subscriptions, the Dental R.A.T. works immediately with your existing practice management systems — including Dentrix, EagleSoft, SoftDent, PerioExec, Open Dental, MacPractice, and more — with minimal setup and no monthly fees.
2. Dual Functionality
It’s not just for periodontal charting. As a fully functional foot‑operated mouse, it can control intraoral cameras, digital X‑rays, and other operatory software features, freeing your assistant to focus on patient care or clinical tasks.
3. Hygiene and Efficiency
The hands‑free design dramatically decreases the need to de‑glove and re‑glove when switching between patient care and computer entry — reducing cross‑contamination risks and supporting better infection‑control protocols.
4. Immediate Return on Investment
Dental R.A.T. can often pay for itself by reducing staffing needs during charting, improving documentation accuracy (which supports proper billing), and helping hygienists work more productively throughout the day.
Beckmer Products continues to innovate and support hands‑free technologies that help clinicians do their jobs better. With free support, training videos, and a background rooted in dental practice excellence, Dental R.A.T. isn’t just another gadget — it’s a thoughtfully engineered tool built by clinicians, for clinicians.
Whether in private practice, a teaching institution, or a specialty clinical setting, Dental R.A.T. empowers dental teams to streamline periodontal charting, enhance patient communication, and modernize clinical workflows — all with a solution that’s easy to use and highly reliable.
