Technology

By now, we’ve all pretty much heard about just how much additional information and clinical data can be gathered by using cone beam 3D imaging. However, many GPs are not sure exactly which cases are best suited for this evolving technology, and there also has been confusion and concern in recent months about radiation doses and possible health risks with children exposed to too many CBCT scans.

One of the many things we learned in our annual Technology Census is that the readers of Dental Products Report really do like technology, but that the large majority is not just going to jump at the newest gadgets without a little investigating.

There’s always a lot to see while walking the crowded confines of the Lab Day exhibit hall and last month’s show in Chicago didn’t disappoint with companies of all sizes showing off their latest products of both low and high tech varieties. But it should come as no surprise that my gaze was often drawn to the computer-powered end of the spectrum where I was not disappointed by the latest in CAD/CAM scanners, mills, printers and software.

  Photo: ProDrive

When hygienist Nikki Hayes called out “You guys have all gotta get down here and see this,” over the headset intercom system used by the staff at DPR Technology Editor Dr. John Flucke’s Lee’s Summit, Mo. practice, it sent everyone running. What they saw did not disappoint.

This month our feature story presented a “chorus” of voices offering a range of views and perspectives on CAD/CAM technology, digital dentistry and the way computerized and robotic processes are changing the dental lab industry. The voices in that article may have differed in their opinions about the technology, but the one thing everyone seemed to agree on was that CAD/CAM technology is here and has already begun to change the dental laboratory industry in numerous ways.

Dentistry has always been a profession that keeps us in fairly close proximity to our patients. We’re constantly working in their personal space, doing something the patient cannot see and working in a manner that doesn’t allow them to talk to us. I think that’s probably why many patients feel stressed about dentistry.

I love endo! To some of you that may seem like a statement of lunacy, but I really do find it fascinating.

The primary goal of root canal therapy is to create an environment in which the root or roots of a tooth are maintained in a healthy periodontium. This, in turn, allows the tooth to be restored to normal function. To achieve this objective it’s important to minimize or eliminate microorganisms and pathologic debris in root canal systems. This becomes more challenging when we are presented with teeth having calcified canals.

Anyone who’s wanted get in touch with their dentist in the middle of the night has probably experienced the frustration of connecting-not with a person who can empathize with the pain and provide help-but with a voice recording that can’t respond to a question or set up an appointment for first thing in the morning. Most dentists, too, know about the costs associated with having patients who miss appointments or the time lost and frustration of playing phone tag with them.

We’ve continued to see the evolution of the dental handpiece in the last few years. First it was the arrival of ProDrive (prodrivesystems.com) and the turbine replacement system that uses a triangular chuck and a triangular bur shank to increase efficiency of the cut as well as the quality of the marginal preparation.

While a range of new technologies are making it possible for dental labs to produce restorations with greater efficiency, not every innovation having an impact on the industry comes in the form of a system designed specifically for dental labs.

It’s been said that death and taxes are certainties of life. Add change to that list. A new generation of dental lab operators are adapting to trends in the industry that include incorporating new technologies, using different methods of marketing, and coping with downward price pressures from overseas.

Waiting to see the dentist can be trying. There are only so many magazines one can read. Now, dentists like John Stark in South Jordan, UT are providing iPads to patients in the waiting room. The iPads are loaded with dozens of easy to use apps, most of which pertain to dental health. “Patients love it, it has been pretty amazing how people will play with it,” Dr. Stark said.

3D Video A new dimension to visual presentations Last January, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas turned into a giant coming out party for 3D television. Coming on the heals of the massive theatrical success of the 3D movie Avatar and with the commercial launch of 3D Blu-Ray players, it’s clear 3D viewing is a big part of the future of video.

Doctors Allen and Kelly Smudde of Valencia, CA-based Smudde Dental decided to go paperless in 2007. The improvement in efficiency for the 6,000-patient practice has been noticeable. The same patient exam that used to take between one and a half hours to two hours now takes 45 minutes.

Where is it written that going to the dentist can’t be enjoyable? Or that a patient can’t sip a glass of beer or wine while waiting for an appointment or even borrow a laptop to surf the net? It’s not in any book that Dr. Clint Herzog, founder of Floss Dental, a practice with eight locations in Dallas and Houston, has ever read.

Brought to you by dentalheroes.com... As part of our 2011 Top 100 issue last December, we published what we thought were the top 5 dental apps from 2011 from a clinician's perspective. The apps in the following list are geared more towards helping your patients prevent cavities, gum disease, seek information on things like braces, and to teaching kids to brush their teeth properly.

With so much technology out there, which practice systems get first dibs? I recommend approaching your technology integration efforts as a puzzle, with each system acting as a piece that needs to fit into an overall strategy so that, when the puzzle is complete-and individual products selected-it reflects the right picture for your practice. The systems to evaluate are:

At Ziemek Aesthetic Dental Lab, technology has become a big part of the workflow and an integral aspect of the business’ operations. Lab manager Jamie Stover, CDT, said evaluating new systems to see what fits with the lab is critical to the lab’s success.

After a busy year of traveling, Hu-Friedy's Nevi 4 will find itself on display in the National Museum of Dentistry. We've been following Nevi the Mascot throughout its travels throughout the U.S.

They say waiting is the hardest part, and apparently this was true for Sirona as the company announced today that rather than waiting the remaining 3.5 years for the CEREC CAD/CAM system's 30th anniversary, it would host a CEREC 27 and a Half Year Anniversary Celebration next August 16 - 18 at The Venitian in Las Vegas.

In a great move that benefits the dental lab industry, dentists and patients, Vident recently signed on to join the IdentAlloy/IdentCeram Council and will begin providing certificates confirming the contents of the materials they use from Vident.

The day started early for the technicians and lab owners attending the 8th Annual Dental Laboratory Owners Association of California CAD/CAM Expo & Symposium, but the sizable crowd was in store for a day packed with details on the latest in dental lab technology and opportunities to meet with the range of companies selling scanners, mills, materials and associated products.

With Imtiaz Manji, CEO of the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry, and Dr. Lee Ann Brady, a veteran dentist always looking for more education, lecturing on Monday morning at the ADA, the full room of attendees left with plenty of great information for both practice growth and clinical excellence.

One of the things I hope to bring to my blogging for dentalproductsreport.com are highlights from the consumer media. It's interesting how so many of the magazines I read - from Time to Marie Claire to The Atlantic - end up mentioning dentistry or oral health in some way.

While AADOM attendees participated in advanced training sessions hosted by XLDent, Dentrix and Eaglesoft on Thursday afternoon, the exhibitors took some time to get to know each other during this year’s Industry Summit.