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Entries from November 2007

PreXion 3D

November 21st, 2007 · No Comments

I saw this at the ADA in San Francisco. It was one of many new products in the rapidly expanding Cone Beam market. What I liked about this was the clarity of the images.

TeraRecon’s PreXion 3D is a revolutionary X-ray system that provides high-resolution solutions in dental imaging. Powered by TeraRecon’s proprietary image reconstruction and volumetric image rendering technology, PreXion 3D provides sharper images with more information than the traditional dental X-ray unit. It’s the ideal in-office imager for the specialist performing implants.
With TeraRecon’s clear and 1:1 scale images, accurate measurements assure that the optimum implant is placed. Patient treatment is improved with the powerful computed tomography technology and its precise measurement tools. Accurate dental implant planning and placing, orthodontic investigation, and improved general dental imaging are some of the many true benefits PreXion 3D delivers.
In just 19 seconds, TeraRecon’s PreXion 3D acquires 512 initial X-ray views which are ‘reconstructed’ into a 3D dataset of the patient’s anatomy. Conversion to DICOM 3 is built-in and compatible with all major 3rd party software and systems (NobelGuide, Simplant, ILS, I-Dent, Dolphin, and others).
Revolutionary 3D CBCT | PreXion 3D | TERARECON, INC. [1].

[1] http://www.prexion3d.com/3dct.html

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Tags: Diagnostics · Radiography

Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device

November 20th, 2007 · No Comments

Product Overview
Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper. Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing. Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed. Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute. More than 88,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers. New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise. Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy. Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly. Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times. More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN’s Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post. Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces. Holds over 200 titles. Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours. Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot. No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read. Includes free wireless access to the planet’s most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org. Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.
Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store [1].

[1] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5873612_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=1JESB8VZS5M4K04KP3NB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=329252801&pf_rd_i=507846

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Tags: Hardware

Traditional and No Prep Veneers: Cutting Thru the Hype for Clinical Excellence

November 20th, 2007 · Comments Off on Traditional and No Prep Veneers: Cutting Thru the Hype for Clinical Excellence

A study by The Dental Advisor (Vol. 24, No. 3, 2007) shows that the distribution of Cerinate porcelain restorations is as follows: traditional 60%; minimal to no-prep (Lumineers) 23%: and crowns 17%. Granted, that’s just Cerinate’s stats. Durathins, a leading minimal to no-prep brand created by Dr. Dennis Wells and Mark Willes, is rapidly becoming […]

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Tags: Cosmetic Dentistry · Uncategorized

GIGO

November 19th, 2007 · No Comments

One of the oldest computer idioms is GIGO: Garbage In Garbage Out. What that means is that for the computer to provide useful and accurate information the correct data must be entered in the first place.
Today I was trying to evaluate the effectiveness of a technique we were using to attract new patients. As I ran the numbers I realized that some of the new patients had not been entered with the proper referal information. So now my results are almost useless.
If you want to use your technology to make good decisions you need to be able to rely on the data. Be sure your office protocols are effective and in use. For example “referred by” data is entered on all new patients; not just the ones the staff gets around to. Grrrr.

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Tags: Administrative · Just for Fun

Love my Laser

November 19th, 2007 · No Comments

I can’t imagine being a dentist today without my diode laser. Today I had a difficult access case replacing an old broken alloy that went well below the tissue, it was all inflamed and bleeding. Before laser it would have been impossible to get a good impression. Today I did it quickly and easily using the laser to expose the margin and control the bleeding.

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Tags: Just for Fun

8 Business Boosters for Dentists

November 19th, 2007 · Comments Off on 8 Business Boosters for Dentists

Dentistry is a diverse business. You’ve got the clinical side, with all of its education, technology, and materials; the business side with management, billing, insurance, and expenses; and you’ve got the marketing side – which fuels the entire business. In a Dental Economics article, Marin Wuest suggests, "According to current statistics, there are plenty of […]

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Tags: Marketing · Uncategorized

80% of Patients prefer to pay online

November 17th, 2007 · No Comments

From Sesame Communications [1]

In the largest ever survey of patients’ online preferences, 80% report that they like the convenience of paying bills online. And with Online Payment Processing, you benefit doubly: happy patients and money saved. Sesame’s rates are competitive, and payments are automatically deposited into your account within 48 hours. Plus recurring billing means no more staff time spent entering the same credit cards over and over.

[1] http://sesamecommunications.com/

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Tags: Administrative · Websites & Internet

The Vista Death Watch – Columns by PC Magazine

November 17th, 2007 · No Comments

More reasons to beware of Vista. I just ordered a new computer for my consult room and specified XP Pro.

Microsoft has extended the life of Windows XP because Vista has simply not shown any life in the market. We have to begin to ask ourselves if we are really looking at Windows Me/2007, destined to be a disdained flop. By all estimates the number of Vista installations hovers around the number of Macs in use.How did this happen? And what’s going to happen next? Does Microsoft have a Plan B? A number of possibilities come to mind, and these things must be considered by the company itself.
The Vista Death Watch – Columns by PC Magazine [1].

[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2209837,00.asp

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Tags: Administrative · Software

Reeling Them In for Their Own Good!

November 16th, 2007 · Comments Off on Reeling Them In for Their Own Good!

I was thrilled to read Colene House’s article, "Whatever It Takes," in this month’s Dental Economics. Not only is Colene a great humor writer, but she seems to have the right combination of passion and creativity to make her patients care about their oral health. The article regaled me with a story about a little […]

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Tags: Administrative · Uncategorized

Hard Drives: Under the Hood

November 15th, 2007 · No Comments

The average computer user only becomes aware of his or her hard drive in two circumstances: When it fills, or when it fails.
Hard Drives: Under the Hood [1].
Follow the link if you want to learn more.

[1] http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2214377,00.asp

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Tags: Hardware · Security