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This just in from Lorne Lavine at: The Digital Dentist [1]

Two MAJOR Announcements from Air Techniques Although this has been in the rumor mill for a few months, both were confirmed to me this morning by the Product Manager for Air Techniques. Both of these new products are being officially released on February 1, 2006:
1. The Scan-X will now come with automatic plate erasing. They will call the new units with this In-Line Erase. You will have the option to turn it on or off, although why you would want to do this is anyone’s guess. Of course, with this new feature comes a price increase. The new basic package for the combo unit (intraoral, pans, cephs) will be $22,000, and the intraoral only will be $13,500.
2. Air Techniques will now offer their own digital imaging software called Visix. I haven’t seen any screenshots on the software so I can’t comment on it. I’ll assume that they will still allow third parties to continue to work with their systems (to not do so would be suicide in my opinion). The Visix will work with all of their products, including the Accent sensors. The software will be $1995 for 5 licenses, and $995 for each 5-pack of additional licenses, plus $995 for training. So, realistically, for the average office we work with, you’re looking at $4000 for the software package.
Overall, I’m very excited about these new products. I know a lot of offices purchased Scan-X systems before December 31st for tax purposes. If you haven’t taken delivery yet, I’d call your rep right away to see about upgrading to the In-Line Erase, as I think it beats their plate eraser any day. The automatic bagger is still a separate unit at $995, although don’t be surprised to see that eventually become part of the base unit as well (again, just rumors for now).

[1] http://thedigitaldentist.blogspot.com/

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Read the whole review from PC Magazine here: ABSmini Automatic Backup System 40GB review by PC Magazine [1]

Whether you’re part of a large office or a small business or are flying solo, the ABSmini ($259 direct) from CMS Products is just right for backing up your notebook or desktop. It’s the perfect compact hard drive for anyone who thinks that backing up his or her data is too inconvenient. (You know who you are.) The ABSmini is small—about the size of an iPod—and can fit comfortably in a shirt pocket, so you won’t even notice the extra weight in your laptop bag. It can be a lifesaver if you depend on your data.

[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1911007,00.asp

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Ping Pong is the latest tech slang. It refers to the back and forth blame game that can happen between tech vendors. The hardware guy blames the software. The software folks blame the hardware and they all blame Microsoft (it probably is Microsoft).
As a dentist caught in the middle you are the ping pong ball! Back and forth waiting to get slammed.
There are two strategies to avoid ping ponging. First don’t buy random technology. Many times I visit offices where the hardware came from three different sources, it is running three different operating systems and hasn’t bee updated in years. The software is just as bad. A second tier management system with non dental photo management that is not part of the digital record. Then the doctor adds a stand alone radiology package.
In that kind of a system when something fails, and it will fail, it is very difficult to determine why and how to fix it.
The second strategy is to find a good local IT company with dental experience and let them handle everything. That includes setting up hardware, setting up the network, installing programs, trouble shooting conflicts and monthly maintenance.

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Previously only available to current Caesy DVD customers, printables are now being offered for sale to non-Caesy customers.Printables, are printable versions of Caesy’s more than 200 multimedia presentations.
  Caesy Printables,  allow dentists and their team to create printed versions of Caesy  presentations that patients can take home. Each Caesy Printable presentation includes full-color photos and is available with either English or Spanish text.
Presentation copies can be branded and printed with a practice’s name and logo.
After covering the diagnoses, procedures and alternatives of their suggested treatment, “dentists can use CAESY Printables to create a document that will strengthen their recommendation,” says Anne Mansfield, Patterson Dental Technology Marketing Manager. “This allows patients to share the information with other decision makers.”
More Here [1]

[1] http://www.caesy.com/

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Look here at  PC Magazine: A Short Guide to the Best 19-inch LCDs [1] for the whole story. Dentists are rapidly converting to LCDs from old fashioned CRT (TV Style) monitors. There are so may to choose from use this PC Magazine guide to help make a good choice.

Looking for an LCD isn’t as easy as you may think. You might know what size you want, but what about rated contrast ratio? Pixel response time? Viewing angle? Features? There’s more than just size and style to look for when checking the latest LCDs. The sweet spot for consumers has become 19-inch LCDs. With such a small price delta between 17-inch and 19-inch models, there’s almost no reason not to go for more screen real estate. We have a few guidelines to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1911996,00.asp

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The wrong story on zinc oxide and eugenol:             Recently there have been instances whereas the clinician has been given misinformation as it relates to zinc oxide and eugenol. Specifically Gordon Christensen and more recently Frank Spears have stated that temporary restorations made of zinc oxide and eugenol will not interfere with the polymerization of […]

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If you have been hearing about so called Neuromuscular Dentistry look here: Neuromuscular  Dentistry [1] for a complete description. A sample is posted below.

Myotronics was founded as a result of the decades long work of the late Dr. Bernard Jankelson, a noted prosthodontist. Early in his practice, Dr. Jankelson recognized that purely mechanical concepts he had learned in his dental training sometimes worked, but often did not. He began a study of the muscular and physiological aspects of the orofacial area and their impact on occlusion, mandibular function and patient health. First at the biomedical engineering department of the University of Washington and then with the aid of an electrical engineer employed in his private practice, he developed modern instrumentation for evaluation and documentation of occlusal parameters not possible with mechanical articulators and clutches.

[1] http://www.myotronics.com/about.cfm

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Sally says…Do it now. Read the whole article here: Tips: Ready! Fire! Aim! [1] for a complete outline of why it makes sense financially to go with a digital system.
Sally McKenzie, CEOThe McKenzie Companysallymck@mckenziemgmt.com [2]

As I hope the title of this article indicates, I’m actually advocating that you follow a practice that is reputed to have been common in the Old West. I’m recommending that you “shoot first and ask questions later.” This might not be what you’d expect to hear from a business consultant, but the financial benefits of installing digital radiography are so great that you simply can’t afford to wait.Installing digital radiography in your practice is so important that, even if you make a mistake initially, the benefits will far outweigh any mistakes you might make by choosing the wrong vendor. What’s more, if you discover that you’re not totally happy with the system you’ve purchased, you can generally opt out of your purchase and choose a vendor with a better product.Make no mistake: I’m not quite telling you to just go out there and buy the first digital radiography system that’s demonstrated in your office. There’s no substitute for doing your homework. What I am saying, though, is, “Get out there and buy a digital radiography system for your practice now.”

[1] http://www.mckenziemgmt.com/managementtips/print/sally/PrintSallyArticle201.html
[2] http://emmottontechnology.commailto:sallymck@mckenziemgmt.com

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Another idea from CES. What a great High Tech way to display before and after smile photos. Digital Frames are produced by several companies. They can also provide sound and even connect to the network.

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I had a very difficult restorative situation today. The patient had extensive root decay below a PFM and completely subgingival. In the past this would have been a bloody mess. Today I used my diode laser and it allowed me to treat the patient in a much more effective manner than I would have in the past. With the laser I reduced the gingival crest then created a trough that allowed me access to the decayed root. There was no bleeding and it took no more than a minute.
I first started using a diode laser in 1999 (last century). As I expanded my use of the diode laser I was amazed by the fact that patients never complained of post operative discomfort. Most of the time they said they felt nothing the next day. Occasionally they said their gum felt like it was scratched. The other amazing result was that the tissue healed exactly where I cut it. Contouring gingiva with a laser is like sculpting a model, there was no swelling or shrinkage during healing. As a result I could contour the gingiva, prep the tooth and impress at one appointment.

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