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Entries from September 2007

Not Busting Bubbles: ADA Seal of Approval on Chewing Gum

September 28th, 2007 · No Comments

Just a few days ago, the ADA expanded its seal of approval from dental products to chewing gum. Wrigley’s Orbit, Extra, and Eclipse are now ADA-approved. So what does that mean, actually? The ADA’s seal indicates that a product has been tested and proven to meet safety criteria and that it offers oral health benefits. […]

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Tags: Uncategorized

Inexpensive Polyvinyl Impression Material

September 27th, 2007 · No Comments

Dr. Peter Boulden from Atlanta gave us this tip.  Safco, a dental supply house in Chicago, has a house brand of poly vinyl that is great for accurate study models for wax up’s and diagnostics.  It is called Replica.  The Monophase material’s product number is 102–0559 and Safco’s number is 1–800–621–2178.  It is just over […]

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Tags: Cosmetic Dentistry · Teeth Whitening · Used equipment/supplies

ViziLite and VELscope – Helping Dentists Save Lives

September 26th, 2007 · No Comments

Since an estimated one person per hour dies from oral cancer, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation (www.oralcancerfoundation.org), screening and early detection of the disease are vital. The good news: Finding oral cancer in the earliest stages has given us a 90% cure rate. The bad news: Half of the 31K patents diagnosed this year […]

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Tags: Uncategorized

Perio Pal Announces LAA Therapy Diagnostic Tool to Accompany Hands-Free Perio Charting Software

September 25th, 2007 · No Comments

Perio Pal will record charting by verbal commands. Microsoft’s Speech Application Programming Interface makes this possible. Perio Pal 8.0 eliminates the need to record data by hand and increases accuracy. But wait, there’s more… Now, in addition to this cool hands-free tool, Perio Pal will soon come with a feature that coordinates the practice’s protocol […]

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Tags: Uncategorized

Dentistry’s Gray Market: It’s Black and White, Don’t Purchase Imitations

September 24th, 2007 · No Comments

Low prices appeal to all of us. We look for a great deal on everything, from our homes to our chewing gum. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save money. However, amazingly low prices on dental products and materials may indicate imitations – gray market goods that aren’t approved and don’t come with a warranty. […]

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Tags: Uncategorized

Middle Things

September 23rd, 2007 · No Comments

Somewhere between a PDA and a laptop are some new mobile devices; they’re not as big as laptops but still not as small as a smartphone or PDA. They’ve been called sub-laptops or mega-PDAs; they’re the “middle things.” These devices are smaller, sleeker, and may be capable of doing some of the things you need it to do in a dental office.
A good example of a “middle thing” is the OQO Model 02. (www.oqo.com [1]) It is tiny (5.6″x 3.3″ x 1.0″) easily fits in your hand yet it is a powerful fully functioning computer. It runs Windows XP Pro. has a 1.6 GHz processor and a GB of memory. It is also pricey at $1800.
The future use of the Model 02 would be for the dentist to carry it with him/her anywhere in the office or beyond. The dentist could look up records record notes check x-rays write prescriptions and all the rest. On the other hand such a tiny device would not be appropriate for image capture, patient education or case presentation.

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

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Tags: Hardware

New Song Titles for Baby Boomers

September 23rd, 2007 · No Comments

Herman’s Hermits – Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Walker.
Ringo Starr –  I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
The Bee Gees – How Can You Mend A Broken Hip.
Bobby Darin – Splish, Splash, I Was Havin’ a Flash.
Roberta Flack –  The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
Johnny Nash – I Can’t See Clearly Now.
Paul Simon  – Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver.
The Commodores – Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
Marvin Gaye – Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
Procol Harem – A Whiter Shade of Hair.
Leo Sayer – You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
The Temptations – Papa’s Got a Kidney Stone.
Abba  – Denture Queen.
Tony Orlando – Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
Helen Reddy –  I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.
Willie Nelson –  On the Commode Again.

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Tags: Just for Fun

New DPR Web site

September 23rd, 2007 · No Comments

Dental Products Report (DPR) has a new web site [1] just in time to celebrate 40 years of business. I have been writing for DPR since 2001. Below is an except from an short bit I wrote about the changes in the last 40 years. Click the link for a lot more.

Dr. Larry Emmott is an authority on dental technology, a practicing general dentist in Phoenix, and DPR’s high-tech columnist—he’s been writing “Emmott on Technology” since January 2001.
Q: What would you consider the most dramatic changes in the everyday practice of dentistry in the last 40 years, as it relates to high-tech dentistry?
A: It”s not one thing; it is the whole universe of digital technology. It took me a while but when I finally “got it,” I realized that what made all this computer stuff so great was not one component or one application—it was the integration of all the parts that made it so powerful. It is what Bill Gates called, “the Digital Nervous System.”
Welcome to DPRWorld.com [2].

[1] http://www.dprworld.com/
[2] http://www.dprworld.com/articles/show/dpr0907_interview1

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Tags: Just for Fun

More on the CaDent Digital Impression

September 22nd, 2007 · No Comments

iTero—powered by proprietary imaging technology—enables the dentist to take a digital scan of the patient’s teeth and bite, make any necessary adjustments in real-time, and then transmit the file via a wireless Internet connection to a Cadent-partnering laboratory for further processing. From there the digital file is transmitted to Cadent where a model is milled. The physical model is then sent to the laboratory where a highly precise physical restoration is created. With significant benefits such as increased patient satisfaction, improved clinical outcomes, and enhanced office efficiencies, iTero will change your impression of digital impressions.The Benefits of an iTero Lasting First Impression

Eliminate the uncomfortable patient experience of traditional impressions
Enhance your reputation as a high-quality practice
Utilize advanced digital technology to maximize your potential
Achieve superior fitting prosthetics with little or no adjustments
Enjoy increased patient satisfaction
Reduce consumable expenses
Realize improved clinical results

Digital Imaging for Dentists – What is Cadent iTero? [1].

[1] http://www.cadentitero.com/content/dentist/

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Tags: Diagnostics

Electronic Transactions from DentalBlogs

September 21st, 2007 · No Comments

If you’re an avid techie, you are probably well aware of all the ways in which you can use electronic transactions to the advantage of your dental practice. But for those of you who aren’t technically inclined, this may be news. There are few downfalls, if any, to electronic transactions. They are simple, efficient, and effective – and they can save you time and money!

Check eligibility and benefit info on patients
Submit claims with digital pictures and X-rays
Check claim status
Send electronic remittances
Transfer funds online
Accept online payments on accounts

Another benefit – electronic transactions will present your practice as an active member of the high-tech world. These few functions are not as hard to learn as you may think, so don’t be intimidated. In fact, since you’re the boss, you can hand off the project to your office administrator. Ask him or her to gather information on the costs and technology required for the electronic transactions you want to implement, then prioritize where to begin. In no time, you’ll have a tech-savvy office that your patients will admire and respect.Learn more about the advantages of electronic transactions for the dental office by reading this article on the ADA site: http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2656 [1].
DentalBlogs’ dental blog is dental news from the top minds in dentistry delivered daily [2]

[1] http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=2656
[2] http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator/electronic-transactions-%e2%80%93-its-all-good/#more-1217

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Tags: Just for Fun