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I purchased the original Isolite and rarely used it due the bulk of the unit and the separate fiber optic cord and light source.  These problems have been solved with the new i2.  This device controls illumination, retraction, and isolation.  It is lightweight and easy to insert in the patients mouth.  The amazing thing is […]

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Choosing a hardware vendor is one of the most important decisions a dentist will make in the development of a high tech office. A bad choice could mean constant problems, lost productivity, wasted time, extra expenses and general frustration. A good choice could mean a seamless, trouble free, invisible integration of technology into the office.
The first rule is chose a professional. Do not get your hardware from some patient’s neighbor’s nephew who makes computers from spare parts in the garage on weekends. You make get a great deal, but when the system crashes at 10:00 am Monday and you need immediate help and the kid is working the line at Burger King you are in big trouble.
Usually the best choice for a dental office is a local VAR, which stands for Value Added Reseller. In other words, a local computer vendor. It is possible to get computers from an out of town company or an online vendor like Dell or Gateway, however you will still need a local person to install and service the system.
You should choose a VAR with the same care you would any professional advisor such as an accountant or an attorney. That means ask for a referral from a trusted source. Check out their credentials. Ask for references and follow up. There are three critical questions to ask the references. Did the VAR do what they said they would do when they said they would do it? Does everything work as planned with a minimum of problems? And most importantly, if you had a critical failure were they there that day to fix the problem?
Many VARs specialize in specific industries such as dentistry, and it is a good idea to choose a VAR that has dental experience. If they are experienced they will understand the needs of your business, they will know the basics of dental software and they will know of unique solutions to the problems of using computers in a dental treatment room. Also they will have seen various technology systems in place in other offices, they will have seen what works and what doesn’t and be able to bring that knowledge to your office.

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Have you noticed? The price of computers isn’t slowly falling as we have seen in the past, the prices are plummeting! Notebook computer prices have fallen 18.5% so far this year. The average notebook now sells for $963. These low notebook prices are forcing desktop prices down as well. Office Depot recently offered a 512MB RAM 100GB PC with a monitor and printer for $300!
It appears we are in the middle of a PC price war. Most indicators predict this will continue until the end of the year. So if your hardware is reaching late middle age (3 years old) There has never been a better time to buy.

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This comes from a New York Times [1] technology Q&A column
As a general rule computers need to be upgraded every three to four years. When you get rid of the old computer you can either throw it away, give it away or recycle it. However it leaves your office we have an ethical and legal obligation to be sure there is no personal medical information left on the hard drive. The following addresses these issues.

Taking Extra Steps to a Clean DiskQ. I was in a store recently to buy a new computer, and asked for software to delete my files permanently before donating my old PC. The sales clerk said I didn’t need to buy the software, as I can do this in Windows by reformatting my drive with the Format command. Will that work?A. The Format command is often used to prepare a disk for installing (or reinstalling) an operating system, but it does not securely erase all data from the computer. People who know how to dig around and recover data may still be able to mine personal information from your old PC.Most experts suggest that computer users who need to securely and permanently erase data from a hard drive (the Pentagon, for instance) either physically destroy the drive or use a software utility to thoroughly overwrite all its information. It may take some time, but a good wipe program can repeatedly overwrite your hard drive with random data from 7 to 35 times to erase any personal files lingering on the drive.There are many commercial software programs for Windows in the $40 to $50 range that can completely erase your hard drive, like WipeDrive (www.whitecanyon.com) and CyberScrub Privacy Suite (www.cyberscrub.com). There are also free options, like Eraser (www.heidi.ie/eraser) and Darik’s Boot and Nuke (dban.sourceforge.net), a small program that can be loaded onto a diskette or recordable CD and used to wipe your drive clean.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/technology/01askk.html?ex=1306814400&en=33e79cb0a03434d0&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

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Check out Skype – The whole world can talk for free. [1]

Skype is a little program for making free calls within the US and Canada to all phones until the end of the year. Skype to Skype calls anywhere in the world are also free. It’s easy to download and use, and works with most computers.
There is a new Skype for business section on the web. Also Skype is great for video conferencing and group teleconferences. And it FREE!

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

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PC magazine has a very good article on back up strategy and devices. The whole article is here  Your Backup Battle Plan [1]

An effective data backup strategy means knowing what needs to be backed up, including regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), which has specific backup requirements. You should also determine whether data should be backed up or archived. Most businesses do both. Backups are copies of active data for short-term use and are frequently overwritten with updated versions. The three types of backup are full (which backs up all files regardless of whether they have changed), differential (which backs up all files modified since the last full backup), and incremental (which backs up only files that have changed since the last backup of any kind). Archives, on the other hand, contain static data, such as inactive document files and old e-mails.
The article suggests a move away from tape back up which has been the standard to disc back up using removable hard drives or off site back up using the Internet.

[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1954183,00.asp

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These are taken from real resumes and cover letters that wereprinted in Fortune Magazine.
1. “I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience.”2. “I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreasheet progroms.”3. “Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.”4. “Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions.”5. “Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave.”6. “Failed bar exam with relatively high grades.”7. “It’s best for employers that I not work with people.”8. “Let’s meet, so you can ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over my experience.”9. “You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time.”10. “Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details.”11. “I was working for my mom until she decided to move.”12. “Marital status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved.  Nocommitments.”13. “I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.”14. “I am loyal to my employer at all costs….Please feel free torespondto my resume on my office voice mail.”15. “I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one andabsolutely nothing.”16. “My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training inmeteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.”17. “I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant.”18. “Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far.”19. “As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments.”20. “Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store.”21. “Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as ‘job-hopping’. I havenever quit a job.”22. “Marital status: often. Children: various.”23. “Reason for leaving last job: They insisted that all employees get towork by 8:45 am every morning. I couldn’t work under those conditions.”24. “The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previousemployers.”25. “Finished eighth in my class of ten.”26. “References: none. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”

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I have been using a diode laser since 1999. The most amazing factor in using it has been the incredible response of the patients. It just doesn’t hurt. And it heals completely in just a day or two.
Different wavelengths of light energy are absorbed by different substances. For example some wavelengths are absorbed by water and some wavelengths pass right through water. If a substance absorbs the laser energy it will immediately take on the energy of the laser, usually as heat. The rapid heating of the tissue is what causes the changes we see with a laser.
According to Dr. Clara Munera the High Tech Marketing Manager for Ivoclar the reason the diode is so gentle is that the energy is directed to the tissue practically on the cell level. There is very little inflammation, edema or cell damage. By comparison electrosurge energy is dispersed into adjacent tissues and results in much more trauma and post operative inflammation.
Lasers have many advantages over conventional modalities. Lasers will seal blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerve fibers. As a result there is less swelling, less scaring, little need for sutures, and post operative pain is decreased by 90%.

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Most high quality hardware is extremely reliable and will give years of service. When a computer or a computer component stops working the first things to check are low tech. Check to see that the connections are secure. Is the mouse plugged in? Is the power cord tight? Is it plugged into the wall? Is the power Strip or UPS turned on? Is the network connection tight? Is the network switch plugged in and working? And most commonly are the batteries good?
If all the basic low tech items check out next try and replace the non working component to see if that’s the problem. Try another mouse, change the keyboard or replace the monitor.
At this point it is time to call the technician. If a mission critical piece of dental equipment fails, such as your compressor or central vac most dentists have a local repair technician they can rely on to get them back in business very quickly with a repair or loaner equipment. You need to develop the same type of relationship with a local computer technician. If a mission critical computer component fails your local computer tech should have you up and running the same day. If the vendor doesn’t provide this kind of service and reliability, fire them.

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Some facts “borrowed” from Dr. Donald E.  Wetmore from the Productivity Institute in CT.  (800) 969-3773 Email: ctsem@msn.com  http://www.balancetime.com  [1]   
“ The average person uses 13 different methods to  control and manage their time.     “ The average person gets 1 interruption every 8  minutes, or approximately 7 an hour, or 50-60 per  day. The average interruption takes 5 minutes,  totaling about 4 hours or 50% of the average  workday. 80% of those interruptions are typically  rated as “little value” or “no value” creating  approximately 3 hours of wasted time per day.     “ On an average day, there are 17 million meetings  in America.     “ 20% of the average workday is spent on “crucial”  and “important” things, while 80% of the average  workday is spent on things that have “little value”  or “no value”.     “ In the last 20 years, working time has increased  by 15% and leisure time has decreased by 33%.     “ A person who works with a “messy” or cluttered  desk spends, on average, 1 1/2 hours per day looking  for things or being distracted by things or  approximately 7 1/2 per workweek. “Out of sight; out  of mind.” When it’s in sight, it’s in mind.     “ 90% of those who join health and fitness clubs  will stop going within the first 90 days.     “ ”A project tends to expand with the time  allocated for it.” If you give yourself one  thing to do, it will take all day. If you give  yourself two things to do, you get them both done.  If you give yourself a dozen things to do, you may  not get 12 done, but you’ll get 7 or 8 completed.     “ Delegation is an unlimited method to multiply  time for achieving results.     “ 1 hour of planning will save 10 hours of doing.     “ The average person today receives more  information on a daily basis, than the average  person received in a lifetime in 1900.     “ The “20/80 Rule” tells us we will typically  accomplish 80% of our results through 20% of  our effort. The other 20% of additional results  comes from about 80% of additional effort.    

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

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