Technology

During the recent IDS meeting in Cologne, Germany, the Dental Products Report crew stopped by the MOMBrush booth to learn more about their tech-savvy system that teaches good brushing habits to dental patients of all ages.

During the recent KaVo Kerr Group product launch at the International Dental Show (IDS) in Cologne, Germany, we had the chance to catch up with Dr. Cynthia Brattesani, a dentist in San Francisco who is well known for her passion for the patient and technology. We asked her about what sets her practice apart from her peers in the area.

It should come as no surprise that the dental lab industry has-and continues to-grow and evolve. From George Washington’s ivory dentures (despite what you heard on the elementary school playground, they were not wooden) to porcelain-fused to metal crowns to today’s all-digital, full-arch cases, the way we do things has constantly grown. Even within the modern CAD/CAM systems, progress continues.

The Aurum Group of Companies invites dental professionals from across North America to the Dental Technology and Business Growth Summit 2015, which will be held Oct. 1-3. 2015, in Alberta, Canada. 

With all of the advancements in the field of imaging for the dental practice, now is a great time for any dentist to sit down with his or her team and look at how the practice is using imaging and what upgrades might need to be made.

From the beginning of time there has been a chasm between dental software vendors and their customers. For the most part, this has been due to miscommunication between parties and limited technical knowledge on the side of the dental practice. At the end of the day, in many cases this has built up a limited trust with software vendors.

Money tends not to grow on trees, and given the current state of the economy – not to mention issues specific to the dental industry – buying new equipment is rarely a frivolous endeavor. Doctors have to weigh the pros and cons of their needs and wants against their available funds before making purchases – no matter the size.

As crazy as this may sound, I always wanted to be a dentist. At the age of three, I declared my intentions to my family and then worked toward that goal.I never wanted to be a policeman, a fireman or anything else (OK ... maybe for a few days I wanted to be James Bond, but that had more to do with the girls and gadgets than anything else).

There was a time when the purchase of a new piece of software came with a user’s manual the size of a phone book. Now, both phone books and instruction manuals are all but extinct. Instruction duties have been transferred to trainers, online classrooms and tutorials. Unfortunately many dentists don’t take advantage of training opportunities, which is a big mistake.

Healthcare data is always going to be at risk. Breaches continue to grab all of the headlines, and dental providers are exposed to the same risk.

Being the kind of practitioner we all desire to be requires a serious commitment.

Having had the pleasure the past few years of helping practices transition to electronic health records (including prescribing systems), I was excited to see that New York State was making ePrescribing (eRX) mandatory for both medical and dental providers beginning March 27, 2016.

As most of you are aware at this point, there is a mandate for all providers in New York State to begin prescribing electronically (eRX) beginning March 27, 2015.

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) will host its annual spring conference at the Hilton Chicago on May 2-3, 2015.

Every dental office is different. Practices specialize in particular areas of dentistry and focus on a number of varied treatments. Yet there is one thing that unites all offices: The desire to help patients understand exactly what is being recommended to them and why. 

Since 2003, Laura Hatch and her husband, dentist Anthony Hatch, have been rocking dentistry. When they opened the doors at their Maryland practice, they chose a rock-and-roll theme that has carried over to their new practice in San Diego, Scripps Rock Dental, which they opened in 2008.

Dentists know any successful practice management solution is going to be a digital one.

Last week’s “Straight Talk” episode was a huge success! It is apparent that hands-on programs dealing with ultrasonics remain of interest to many of us. Thank you to Rachel Wall for her time and for sharing how we can continue to improve our skills. This inspired me to recognize and appreciate three things that have made me a better dental hygienist.

In a move likely to send waves through the 3D printing market, Stratasys has introduced the Objet Eden260VS Dental Advantage 3D Printer.

When leveraged effectively, Eaglesoft can make a dentist’s job easier and take away many stresses of running a practice. But with so many tools available in the program, it can sometimes be difficult to use each one effectively. Below I’ve listed 10 tools in Eaglesoft that every dental practice should be using:

The end of one year and the beginning of another is always a great time for reflection, introspection, and planning.

It’s easy to get good electronic health record (EHR) software, but according to Mike Uretz of DentalSoftwareAdvisor.com, unless it’s implemented correctly you’re still going to have problems.

I consider myself to be a pretty decent dentist, but I’ve never considered myself to be the kind of guy who could tell his CPA, “Don’t worry about filing for me this year. I’ve got this.” I mean, we all have our core competencies, but mine lie more in the area of linear thought, sketching schematics, programming, clinical testing, and that sort of mundane stuff.

In 2014, I wrote a plethora of articles for Dental Products Report and Dental Practice Management about the projected future of electronic health records in dentistry. Recently, I have had the opportunity to sit in on numerous EHR vendor demos for clients ranging from small practices to large groups and DSOs. The bottom line is that I have had an insider look that most people don’t have into what 2015 will bring when it comes to EHR adoption.

We have seen some tremendous advances in our beloved profession of dentistry in the last 25 years or so. As computing power has increased, research and development in many areas of dentistry has allowed us opportunities to perform procedures that would have had G.V. Black as happy as a hungry shark in a swimming pool full of tuna.

As technology continues to provide unparalleled advances and innovation, dental practices continue to change their methods for performing treatments, maintaining patient records and communication. 

SurgiTel® announced the debut of the world’s first touch-free headlight LED, The Eclipse™ LED.

Each year, Dr. John Flucke shares his predictions for emerging and continuing dental industry trends in the coming year. Here are his predictions for 2015.

Dental equipment manufacturer Planmeca USA originally developed Planmeca Romexis software as an open architecture system, making it compatible with all software operating systems and dental equipment from other companies.