Blogging is hard work!
So I'm taking some time off over the holidays to rest up and refresh. I'll be back in January...
Thanks for reading & for your understanding. See ya soon!
Friday, December 18, 2015
Time Off for the Holidays...
Thursday, December 17, 2015
DentalEZ® Integrated Solutions Offers Virtual Operatory Designer
- Chairs and Stools–available choices include numerous DentalEZ chair and stool selections and upholstery types with over 40 color possibilities. Dental professionals can choose between Ultraleather™, Ultraleather™ Fusion, Naugahyde®, and NaugaSoft colors.
- Cabinet Countertops–solid surface countertop designs include twelve different color patterns such as Baja Melange, Crystal Mint, and Bedrock.
- Cabinet Laminates–options include a wide assortment of hues to coordinate with your countertops and office palette.
- Floor and Walls–for the backdrop and floor of the operatory, dental professionals can choose from six wall, and eleven wood or tile floor shades that set the stage for a pleasant operatory experience.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
I've Been Ranked One of the Top 20 Dentist Blogs!
A short post today as it seems that the exploding hoverboard story has nothing new...
Seriously, I was very honored when notified that this blog was chosen as one of the Top 20 Dentist Blogs by E-Dentists USA.
It's nice to know that all of this typing & research hasn't gone un-noticed.
If you'd like to see the entire list, here is the link.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Amazon Pulls Hoverboards Amidst "Explosion" Controversy
Monday, December 14, 2015
Why Do Hoverboards Keep Blowing Up?
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
America’s New Female Combatants Are Getting Custom Gear
A short post today, but an interesting one. Now that female members of the armed forces can be in any role including front line combat, the issue of female body armor is taking on a major role.
I saw this story on Wired and thought I'd share it with you.
Take a look at the story on Wired.com It's an interesting read.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Dentist Ranked #1 Job In America By U.S. News & World Report
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Ransomeware is Coming and You Need to Make Sure You are Prepared...
ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos
When something like this hits the news, you know it is either big... or going to be big. In the case of ransomware, it will be both.
Basically the virus like software grabs your system & installs itself on your hard drive. This allows the program to run in the background & it encrypts your hard drive. When you reboot, come back from a screen saver, etc, the system tells you it has been locked. However it also gives you instructions on how to get your data back. Normally this involves going to a nefarious website and inputting your credit card number (how safe do you think that is?). Supposedly then the hackers will give you a password that will un-encrypt your system.
The thing is, if it is getting on ABC News, you it is out there and it is only going to get worse. This is a crime that is growing exponentially. It will be even worse if you are a business.
If you are a dental office, check out DDS Rescue (a service that I use and recommend) to help by providing hourly backups of your system.
A few months ago, I was beta testing a Personal Cloud Backup System that had a security flaw (hey, that's why you beta test). The system was online about 96 hours before it was ransomeware hacked. It wasn't something I did... the hackers broke into the system over the Internet and installed the software themselves.
If you want to know more about this subject, checkout a quick search I did on Google.
And if you want to find out how to help prevent it, take a look at DDSRescue.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
KaVo Kerr Group Provides Product and Volunteers to ADA 2015 Mission of Mercy Event
First Mission of Mercy event in Washington, DC serves 700+ patients.
WASHINGTON, DC — (November 30, 2015) A cross-section of impressive imaging-related technologies from KaVo Kerr Group were put to use by hundreds of dental professionals who volunteered with the Mission of Mercy event hosted by the American Dental Association in cooperation with the District of Columbia Dental Society. Headquartered in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center as part of ADA 2015 — America’s Dental Meeting, this was the first Mission of Mercy event to take place in Washington, DC.
Held Nov. 8, 2015, the free one-day dental clinic employed hundreds of volunteers to serve more than 700 patients in providing approximately $460,000 in care. KaVo Kerr Group supported the clinic with intra-oral X-ray, pan and caries detection products provided by DEXISTM, Instrumentarium DentalTM and NOMADTM. Teams of volunteers from DEXIS and Instrumentarium also donated their time and expertise to the event.
“The solutions provided by KaVo Kerr Group allow us to serve 99% of dental practices around the world. It is meaningful for those of us who are part of KaVo Kerr Group to participate in events like Mission of Mercy in order to see the individual faces of that 99% and, more importantly, the patients who benefit from our products,” said Candy Ross, KaVo Kerr Group’s Director of Industry and Professional Relations for Dental Technologies, North America. “We talk a lot about trust as a core value in our company. It is trust in the products themselves, and trust in our organization to show up for events like this so that smart innovation makes it into the hands of compassionate dental professionals committed to doing good.”
Monday, November 30, 2015
i-Cat FLX and All It Can Do for You...
One of the important things about tech, is not only knowing how to use it, but knowing when to use it. For instance, it does you no good to have the latest and greatest of something unless you know the proper time to "pull the trigger". Otherwise it's just a really expensive paper weight.
Today's post is going to deal with CBCT or "cone beam computed tomography". This is technology that allows the doctor to see the patient's skull in 3D and helps that doctor see all the underlying structures before beginning a surgical case. The amazing part of this technology is being able to to see everything before the first surgical step is taken. The amount of data accumulated before treatment is started can mean the difference between simple and complicated on one end or wishing there was a better option on the other.
The smart minds at i-Cat have now created a 3D Cone Beam system that will allow doctors to take a 3D Cone Beam scan that creates an image utilizing less radiation than a traditional 2D panoramic radiograph. That means that a low resolution 3D scan can be created with less radiation exposure than traditional 2 dimensional panoramic radiographs. It's simply amazing.
Will this change the world of dentistry? It's still too early to tell, but the door is starting to swing open.
Find out more at at the i-Cat website.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
GoGo Inflight Wireless Service Upgrades to Next Generation in 2016
As most of you who read this blog on a regular basis know... I spend a good deal of my time on planes and in airports. The travel is a sometimes not so fun part of what I do as Technology Evangelist, but hey, I've got to get lectures & meetings somehow... right?
One of the things that can definitely make the travel a bit more tolerable is if you have access to the Internet; especially in the air. Most airports nowadays are providing free WiFi, but once the cabin door closes and the dreaded "airplane mode" is accessed on your device, you enter the great wasteland of being disconnected.
Fortunately it seems that most planes these days are running some type of wireless service on all but their either smallest or oldest planes. On a recent United flight between Chicago O'hare and KCI I noticed that United provided its own United branded service, but on most other flights the service is provided by Gogo.
As long as it's been available, I've had a Gogo account and I've fallen in love with the productivity it has given me. The only problem is the age old problem we all fight whenever we have an Internet connection. That is... we want greater speed, more bandwidth, the fat pipe.
Well, the wheels of progress are always turning and wireless satellite bandwidth is no different. Starting in January of 2016 Gogo will begin rolling out their next generation product. Dubbed 2Ku, the improved service is looking at speeds much greater than we have now.
For an interview on the new & improved service follow this link to read the interview from Engadget.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Kerr TotalCare Partners with OSAP to Promote the Safest Dental VisitTM
Program educates stakeholders throughout the dental industry on the importance of infection control.
November 23, 2015. Kerr TotalCare is proud to announce its support for The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) and its Safest Dental VisitTM program. The Safest Dental Visit is a collaborative effort to support an increased commitment to infection control and safety in dentistry. Dental professionals, thought leaders and key influencers across the industry are joining forces to help ensure that every visit is the safest dental visit for patients and providers.
Each stakeholder — clinicians, educators, consultants and dental trade – each have resources specifically tailored to support their role in this vital program.
“Infection control is a critically important topic that touches every dental professional and patient,” said Phil Prentice, Vice President, North American Marketing, Kerr. “The Kerr TotalCare team is proud of our highly effective suite of Infection Prevention products, and this partnership with OSAP allows us to support not only innovation, but education.”
“Kerr TotalCare has been a dedicated OSAP member for nearly two decades,” added Therese Long, Executive Director. “Kerr’s support, which is now at the Super Sponsor level, is particularly vital as we expand the reach of the Safest Dental Visit, our comprehensive program designed to increase commitment to infection control and safety in dentistry. Kerr’s ongoing support of OSAP demonstrates the level of commitment from Kerr TotalCare to infection prevention and to our mutual goal of ensuring that every visit is the safest dental visit for patients and providers.”
For more information about Kerr TotalCare, visit http://www.kerrdental.com/kerr-totalcare.
Friday, November 20, 2015
American Academy of Periodontology Installs New President, Officers in Orlando
Terrence J. Griffin, DMD, President-elect: Dr. Griffin has served on twelve AAP committees since becoming a member. He maintains a private practice in Boston and has served as the Chair and Director of Tufts University’s periodontology program for 15 years. Dr. Griffin received his dental degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and went on to serve in the US Navy where he completed a one-year fellowship in periodontics at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. After completing his two-year tour of duty, he rejoined Tufts University as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Periodontology, earning his certificate of advanced graduate studies in periodontology immediately after graduation.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
American Academy of Periodontology Recognizes Member Achievements
Dr. McCauley is the dean and the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Dentistry. She is also a professor in the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Pathology. Dr. McCauley’s research has focused on the mechanisms of regulating bone metabolism associated with osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, periodontal diseases, and metastatic cancers. She is well respected for her ability to recognize the significance of a basic science discovery toward informing clinical practice. The Distinguished Scientist Award is sponsored by OraPharma.
Dr. Charles Cobb is the recipient of the Special Citation award, which is presented to a member who has made a noteworthy impact on an Academy committee or project. As a 40-year veteran practitioner and educator, Dr. Cobb is a respected colleague and researcher in the periodontal community. He is the Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Department of Periodontics and author of nearly 200 published works. Affectionately known as “The Encyclopedia” by students, Dr. Cobb has long respected by mentees and colleagues alike. In addition to his service to the AAP, Dr. Cobb is also a member of the Midwest Society of Periodontology, the Missouri Dental Association, and the American Dental Education Association. He is a retired founding member of the American Association of Oral Biologists.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Holy Sirona Party, Batman! Sirona Announces 2016 CMW SIROWORLD Party
Sirona Set to Host Superheroes of Dentistry Party at the House of Blues on Friday evening of the 2016 Chicago Dental Society Meeting
Charlotte, NC (Nov. 17, 2015) ‐ It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s ... Sirona hosting yet another epic event!
Sirona Dental, Inc., the leading manufacturer of innovative dental technology, is hosting a superhero‐themed party at the House of Blues on Feb. 26, 2016, in Chicago during the 2016 Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. This party is a membership benefit of SIROWORLD, Sirona’s new event‐based community.
After saving the day, attendees are encouraged to emulate their favorite superheroes by dressing up in tights, capes and masks to celebrate into the night at Sirona’s Superheroes of Dentistry party.
“Sirona is known for throwing incredible parties and this party will be no different,” said Sirona Dental, Inc. President Michael Augins. “At the CEREC 30TH Anniversary Celebration in Las Vegas, Sirona hosted the Party Like a Rock Star event in which attendees arrived in their best rock star attire to a club filled with 10 foot laser robots and acrobats swinging from the ceiling! At the Superheroes of Dentistry event we will have more surprises in store for our SIROWORLD community members as our Dental Superheroes party the night away at one of Chicago’s most famous venues, The House of Blues."
All SIROWORLD members are invited to join in on this epic night of superhero action. Membership into SIROWORLD includes access to parties like this; along with SIROWORLD’s educational events held at major U.S. trade shows like the Greater New York dental meeting and the CDA South meeting in Anaheim, California. The highlight of SIROWORLD membership is our Inaugural SIROWORLD Celebration in Orlando, Florida where entertainment and education collide at digital dentistry’s premiere event.
During these educational events, members can speak to leading experts in the field of digital dentistry and compare stories with fellow members about the technologies that have helped integrate his/her practice into the digital age.
A wise (spider)man once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” It’s in Sirona’s power to continue throwing legendary events, and it’s your responsibility to join us in the festivity!
Pricing for SIROWORLD is now available at $1,995 a year for a membership and $2,995 a year for VIP membership and include entrance into all of the celebration events planned at the trade shows and the annual event in Orlando. Total Office membership packages are currently available for $5,995, for a total savings of $4,000 off list price, and include SIROWORLD membership for up to six people.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Danaher Corporation Awards Scholarships to Three Children of Dental Platform Associates
It's always nice to see a company reward hard work by students. Trust me when I say that the amount of debt incurred by students going into dentistry is not at a small level. Young people have to really *want* to go into dentistry these days. Being a doctor is a very rewarding profession, but the amount of student loan debt that young people end up with is more than what many consider when they enter the educational process. With that in mind, it's always nice to see companies that are willing to help with educational expenses. My hat is off to the good people at Danaher for helping to make dental education more affordable for deserving candidates.
$225,000 in scholarship funds made available to 36 university-bound students.
(November 16, 2015) — The 2015 Danaher Scholarship Program is honored to present a total of $225,000 to students this year. A record 403 students applied to the program this year. Of the 36 university-bound women and men selected, three are children of Danaher dental platform associates:
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Ida Alfano – child of Kerr Dental associate Francesco Alfano. Ida will attend University of
Naples Federico II.
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Nicholas Do – child of KaVo Kerr Group associate Nguyen Do. Nicholas will attend University
of California: Irvine, majoring in Biological Sciences.
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Alice Miller – Child of Nobel Biocare associate John Miller. Alice will attend University of La
Verne, majoring in Biology.
The application process was quite rigorous, with recipients selected based on a combination of academic achievement, extracurricular activity involvement and moral character. Administered by Scholarship Management Services on behalf of Danaher, each student will receive between $5,000 and $8,000 to put toward tuition.
Since its inception more than a decade ago, the Danaher Scholarship Program has awarded more than $2 million in scholarship dollars to deserving students. Among Fortune 500 companies, the Danaher scholarship program stands out: It ranks in the top 25% of companies for its total distribution and in the top 10% for individual award amounts.
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About KaVo Kerr Group
KaVo Kerr Group is a global portfolio of leading dental brands that share common values of Trust, Experience, Choices, Quality and Smart Innovation. Brands include KaVoTM, KerrTM, i-CATTM, GendexTM, NOMADTM, DEXISTM, Instrumentarium DentalTM, SOREDEXTM, OrascopticTM, Pelton & CraneTM, MarusTM, PentronTM, OrmcoTM and Implant DirectTM. With over 500 years of combined experience and proven solutions, KaVo Kerr Group uniquely serves 99% of all dental practices. Visit www.kavokerrgroup.com for more information.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Crosstex DentaPure Wins Best of Class Technology Award
Behold DentaPure from Crosstex!
Developed by NASA for use on the Space Shuttle as well as the International Space Station, the truly is *Rocket Science* for your dental operatory.
As we all know, keeping our dental unit water lines clean is a very big deal in clinical dentistry. We have tried all kinds of things in the profession, but it seems there is no one perfect system... until now.
The DentaPure system is a filter that plugs into the water line inside our self contained water bottle system and filters the water using advanced science. Imagine installing a cartridge & not having to do another darn thing for a whole year!!! That is the magic that DentaPure brings to the operatory.
We've been using the product for 2 years now and have been thrilled with the results.
However, rather than listen to me drone on and on about it, take a look at the webpage created by the company and see the science they have there. Then get on the phone and order DentaPure. I consider it a "must have" for my office and I think after trying it, you'll consider it a "must have" as well.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Greater New York Dental Meeting Organizers Hosting First International Oral Cancer Symposium
Well, after I discussed my blog plans in yesterday's post, I received some info which I think deserves to be read and will push the blog updates discussed yesterday, back one day.
For those of you who are regular readers, you know how passionate I am about oral cancer and about how I feel that our careers as "head and neck specialists" means that we should do all we can to screen for any type of neoplastic lesions.
Today I received an email from my good friend Michael Ventriello who is helping to spread the word about the First International Oral Cancer Symposium to be held at the 2015 Greater New York Dental Meeting. Here are all the details:
- The guidelines for oral cancer management and the role of the community dentists and otolaryngologists in the management regimen
- Diagnostic criteria of potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions and understanding how to apply the criteria to standard-of-care in community practice
- The rehabilitation concerns of oral cancer patients and understanding the role of rehabilitative medicine
- How community dentists and otolaryngologists can partner with cancer specialists in the overall care of oral cancer patients
- Sewanti Limaye, MD / “Personalized Medicine & Genomics and Head and Neck Cancer”
- Alexander E. Pazoki, DDS, MD / "Guidelines in the Management of Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer“
- Jack L. Martin, BA, MD and Neil Gottehrer, D.D.S. / “Clinical Application of Salivary Markers for the Early Detection of OSCC”
- Salvatore M. Caruana, MD / "Lumps and Bumps"
- M. Abraham Kuriakose, MD, DDS / “Implant Borne Dental Rehabilitation”
- Candice Zemnick, DMD / “Prosthetic Reconstruction: Intraoral and Extraoral”
- Billy Ballard, MD, DDS / "A Pathology Review of Head and Neck Lesions"
Unfortunately, I will be unable to be in New York this year. However, I feel that the $175.00 cost of the seminar as well as the 7 CEUs is well worth it. We all (doctors and hygienists) need to be doing all that we can to help screen for and eradicate this horrible disease and the suffering it causes for both patients and their families.
I sincerely hope many of you can attend.
Monday, November 9, 2015
I'm Back and Once again Ready to Roll!
Welcome back to the old blog... as you all know (and if you don't, you've been living in a cave) my beloved KC Royals are now the champions of the world. I've taken some time off to go to the games, and now I'm back refreshed and ready to give you my perspective on baseball and technology in general.
We've come a long way, and recently I was looking at the statistics for the blog over the years, I've been closing in on one million blog views. I originally started this blog so I could see the responses to my topics and also get immediate feedback to what I had written rather than waiting for emails or, in the good ol' days, wait for the responses via snail mail. Obviously that doesn't happen any more.
Now, I can check the stats on a daily basis and see *exactly* what y'all liked yesterday so with that in mind, I've tried to better tailor the topics. That way I can better provide you, the readers info that better suits you.
So... I just returned from Washington DC where I gave 4 presentations over 3 days about leading edge technologies. These included Digital Caries Detection, The Pride Technology Award Winners that I use every day, 3D Cone Beam CBCT from a general dentist's perspective, and a very interesting presentation with my good friends Dr. Paul Feuerstein and Dr. Marty Jablow on "Ask the Experts any question about Technology".
The last one was perhaps the best one I was involved with this year. Paul, Marty, and I literally showed up with no *official* presentation prepared. We walked into the room with no slides and 3 laptops. We had a microphone that we could pass around in the audience and attendees could simply ask us any question they wanted to.
It was a really fun and enjoyable way to spend the afternoon
So... I've decided to do something similar here.
I'm going to do a series of posts based on questions on what we were asked as well as covering the topics I and products covered in the Pride lecture as well.
As always, I *love* questions so make sure to ask in the comments section.
I will start with the Pride piece tomorrow and we may well go into December and we work through this. Also please remember that this could stretch into heaven knows how long. Consequently as current technology news breaks, we may jump out to cover that and then try to circle back to cover we will see how this all goes as time passes.
Thanks to all of you who put up with my ramblings here. Without any of you reading my thoughts here, this blog would not exist, but thanks to all of you, this is, according to the stats one of the highest ranking healthcare technology blogs on the 'net.
So, tune back in tomorrow and let's get this started.
This should be fun!!!
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Blog on Hold Until After the World Series...
I love tech, but I love baseball even more.
With my beloved Kansas City Royals in the Series, I won't be blogging until the games are over.
Thanks for your understanding!
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Netflix Puts its Movie on the Internet and in Theaters
This past spring I did away with cable TV in my office. Time Warner was requiring a cable box in every operatory which would have been a nightmare to install and control. To still provide patient entertainment on the over the chair monitor, we got a subscription to Netflix.
Now, no matter what the appointment time is, patients can view a show from the beginning. Something they could never do with cable. We've had zero complaints to this point, just happy patients.
I recently read about Netflix now offering one of their own "made for Netflix" movies to be seen in theaters as well as online. Some theater owners feel that the movie Beasts of No Nation will not draw well as folks can just stay home & watch it instead of paying a theater for a ticket.
It's an interesting business model. Some think they are doing it just to get an Oscar nomination because that requires the picture to be shown in theaters.
Whatever the reason, it is an interesting way to do business...
Monday, October 19, 2015
European Crooks Beat "Chip Enabled" Credit Cards
If you have gotten a new credit card or received a replacement card in the U.S. recently, you may have noticed a small chip embedded in the card. These "chip cards" have been in use in Europe for some time now, but just came to the States recently.
One of the primary functions of the chip is to verify your PIN. When you swipe the card & enter your PIN, the card reader communicates with the chip to make sure the PIN on the chip matches the one entered by the individual. Pretty safe, right?
Well it is unless you're a crook. It seems some European scam artists glued another chip on top of the real one and then had it coded to intercept the real chip & then allow *any* PIN number entered to be considered legitimate.
It goes to show you, as my grandfather used to say, "Locks are to keep honest people honest."
If you are a diehard geek like me, you'll want to read the paper written by French digital forensic specialists that explains how they did it.
Friday, October 16, 2015
The Advantages of the Ultradent Valo Curing Light.
There are a lot of fine curing lights on the market today. However, in my opinion one stands a bit taller than all the rest. That one is the Ultradent Valo curing light.
The Valo is a standout unit for a number of reasons and that is why, year after year, it has won The Best of Class Technology Award, or which I am a voting panel member.
I recently received a nice follow-up and overview of the Valo directly from Ultradent and I thought I would share it with you here. Rather than "reinventing the wheel" in this post, I thought I'd let you get pertinent info direct from the source. Here is what the smart folks at Ultradent had to say:
The Power of 3 Seconds
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With the VALO LED broadband curing light, all you need is 3 seconds to get a complete, uniform cure. In Xtra Power mode, a 3-second cure gives you 3200mW/cm—the same amount of power provided by a conventional 10–20-second cure from other curing lights.1–2
So how does the VALO curing light give you so much power in so little time?
Accessibility: The VALO curing light's low-profile head allows for easy and direct access to any restoration site, which means that the light can reach all aspects of the preparation.
Power: The optimally collimated beam ensures that the VALO curing light maintains its power density and cures uniformly over a range of surfaces and working distances. The VALO curing light can polymerize any resin from up to 10mm from the restoration site.
Versatility: The custom, multiwavelength LEDs produce high-intensity light at 395–480nm, which is capable of polymerizing all light-cured dental materials no matter the proprietary product used. The VALO curing light also operates in Standard Power and High Power modes. In Standard Power mode, a 10-second cure provides 1000mW/ cm.2 A 4-second cure in High Power provides 1400mW/cm2 and should only be used for tacking.
So, what does this mean for your office? Dr. Gordon Christensen has found that a typical dental practice can save over $26,000 per year just by switching from a low-intensity light to a high-intensity light.2
Who knew three seconds could be worth so much?
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015
UCLA Scientists Think They Have Found a Saliva Test that Indicates Sexual Preference...
Here is an interesting bit of news that I recently stumbled upon.
It seems that two genetic scientists at UCLA believe they may have discovered a saliva test to determine if a man is gay.
Researchers in dentistry has been working on several saliva tests in the past few years to indicate all kinds of predictive genetic traits and to also screen for the likelihood of developing cavities. However, up until this point, the tests are for disease & genetic problems.
I'm not sure what to think of this news. The sample size is pretty small and the study has not been published in a peer reviewed journal (although that isn't the end all be all of accurate research).
However, if you're interested in the study here is the link from Foxnews.com
Monday, October 12, 2015
‘Follow Bob’ wrapping up at ADA 2015 - News from the ADA
Drs. Joseph Massad and David Little will lead a three-hour Education in the Round course on Nov. 7 wrapping up an 18-month journey of a full-mouth reconstruction procedure on Robert “Bob” Hartman (course 7402).
Learning objectives of the course include understanding and recording the esthetic and functional space before extractions and implant placement; making an accurate full-mouth implant impression in 20 minutes; understanding why verification jigs are important to success; and delivering a mandibular/maxillary implant prosthesis with accuracy.
The previous treatments over the last 18 months have all been documented in the ‘Follow Bob’ series.
Visit ADA.org/meeting to register for the ADA 2015 annual meeting and register for the course today.
Fees increase today at 5 p.m. CDT. This also marks the ADA 2015 housing deadline. A limited number of hotels may have availability beyond this date.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Samsung Announces 16 TB Hard Drive
Samsung has announced what is being hailed as the world's largest hard drive.
This SSD (solid state drive) has no spinning platters and a 16 terabyte capacity. That's just stunning.
No word on the price yet, but this thing will not be cheap. Of course as time passes we will be fondly remembering the days when we thought this thing was a monster.
I still remember back in the 90's being so impressed that I could buy 16 MEGABYTES of RAM for only $600...
The only guarantee is change...
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
KaVo Kerr Group Supports NYU College of Dentistry in Ghana-based Research Project
Dr. Stuart M. Hirsch leads team to study prevalence of periodontal disease in diabetic patients.
Dr. Stuart M. Hirsch, Vice Dean of International Initiatives, Development & Students at the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry, first visited Ghana approximately five years ago. NYU had students studying in Ghana, and was looking for joint opportunities with the University of Ghana to expand its presence.
Dr. Hirsch and the NYU team — Rachel Hill, Dr. Peter Loomer and Hannah Coakley — and the doctors and staff at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and Dental School were interested in finding out the prevalence of periodontal disease in diabetic patients at the hospital. Type II diabetes is increasing around the world and there is mounting data that suggests an oral-systemic link.
“We wanted to find out the prevalence of periodontal disease in diabetic patients. Previously, we’d conducted a qualitative analysis of periodontal health and diabetes, assessing the knowledge base people have; what they know about diabetes and what they’re doing about it,” Dr. Hirsch explained. “In putting together this new quantitative study, we hope to lay the groundwork for implementation on how to better control periodontal disease in developing countries or impoverished areas. This is a very big deal, as access to care in these environments is limited.”
What does limited mean, in real terms? Consider first, that in the United States, the ratio of patients to dentists is 2,500 to 1. In the developing world, that number is as high as 180,000 to 1. The hardship is great, as is the need for realistic solutions.
This study in Ghana looks at a 220-person patient group. Each individual had a health history taken, as well as Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement and a panoramic radiograph to assess the percentage of bone loss around individual’s teeth.
“HbA1c is a way to measure sugar glucose in the blood; the goal for people with diabetes is a level less than 7%, but we saw were as high as 13%,” Dr. Hirsch shared. “We worked with a diabetes clinic in Accra — Ghana’s capital. We would take the HbA1c measurements right before the panoramic digital pan. This is where the OP200D panoramic imaging system provided by Instrumentarium DentalTM was essential. In my opinion, without this equipment to tell us the bone levels, this prevalence study would not have occurred. In my experience, bone levels are important because they never improve, only worsen. My team can use these acquired images and through our analysis and experience, we can determine the extent of periodontal disease for such a patient population.”
In addition to providing the necessary imaging equipment, KaVo Kerr Group provided on-site training for the team in Ghana, facilitated by David Bangert, VP/GM of Special Markets for KaVo Kerr Group, who traveled to the country himself. In addition to setting up the team for success, he made himself available for ongoing support during the study.
“Our partnership with KaVo Kerr Group is an example of how educators and the dental industry need one another. There is — or there needs to be — a relationship in order to move forward ideas and desires on both ends,” Dr. Hirsch shared. “We cannot exist in isolation.”
At this point, the data collection in Ghana is complete. Dr. Hirsch intends to have a small group of post-doctoral students help analyze the data — primarily reading the digital panoramic radiographs — with a targeted completion date of Fall 2015. Dr. Hirsch believes that there will be strong correlations between diabetes and periodontal disease, demonstrated by loss of bone as well as soft tissue.
With that analysis in hand, the real work can begin.
“Hopefully, what we get from this is data to support firm decisions on how to best implement preventive care since we can’t offer surgical care in these areas,” Dr. Hirsch said. “This is a very difficult thing. Even patients in a private office struggle to brush and floss consistently; how much more so, then, in areas like Ghana?”
Monday, September 28, 2015
Thanks to the Texas Academy of General Dentistry
God bless Texas!
I wanted to take this opportunity to give a big "thank you" to my friends in Texas for the invitation to speak at the Texas AGD annual meeting.
Last week I had the good fortune of heading down to Austin, Tx to spend some time lecturing and socializing with a great group of Texas dentists. Many of the doctors in Texas are very involved with organized dentistry and over the years I've gotten to be pretty good friends with quite a few of them.
I commented on Friday that it was almost like giving a lecture in the Kansas City area since looking out into the audience gave me the feeling of talking in front of a large group of my friends.
It was a great meeting and Austin (it was my first visit to the city) is a beautiful place.
If you ever get the chance to attend this meeting, you won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
COLTENE Enters the CAD/CAM Market
More and more companies are getting into the CAD/CAM game and the smart folks at Coltene are no exception. I'm impressed with what the Coltene R&D people are coming up with and now comes word that the company will be making CEREC blocks in the not too distant future. Read on for all the details...
COLTENE, a global manufacturer of dental consumables, becomes a new material partner for SIRONA’s leading CAD/CAM system CEREC. Under the brand name BRILLIANT Crios, the new "Reinforced Composite Blocs" for chairside manufactured permanent inlays, onlays, full anatomical crowns and veneers will be launched in Q1 2016. COLTENE is placing special emphasis on composite as a versatile, high-performance material suited to computer-assisted processing directly in the dental practice.
Jeffrey Slovin, CEO SIRONA: “COLTENE is globally recognized as an established and reliable supplier to the dental industry. We are happy to welcome COLTENE as an official material partner to our CEREC system at CEREC’s 30th anniversary. Expanding our range of materials expands the application of digital dentistry and that, of course, is a tremendous benefit to our CEREC customers.”
Symbiosis of two worlds
SIRONA and COLTENE are going to cooperate in order to further exploit the potentials of digital dentistry with modern composite materials.
BRILLIANT Crios - Reinforced Composite Blocs for Permanent Restorations
Starting 1st quarter of 2016, the new BRILLIANT Crios “Reinforced Composite Blocs” will be sold to the dental market. They combine all advantages of an innovative submicron hybrid composite material for the CEREC chairside manufacturing process to achieve a reliable, aesthetic and fast restoration without an additional burning process.
For CEREC users, the question arises: Why composite? And there are good reasons why. The innovative composite formulation for BRILLIANT Crios merges the best properties of MIRIS and the brand new BRILLIANT EverGlow* composite material. Thanks to the outstanding flexural strength and elasticity close to that of dentin, the restoration material is tougher and less brittle than ceramic. This clearly reduces the risk of chipping and cracking, both in manufacturing as well as in situ. It also has a shock-absorbing effect, ideal for implant restorations, which also has a positive influence on the patient's bite experience.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Medical Records Exposed Over the Cloud!!!
I'm a guy who loves being digital. It's just who I am. I'll be the first to admit that. Being digital, brings tons of advantages to the whole concept of efficiency.
However, I'm also not the type of guy who is going to sit here and tell you that being digital is not without its risks and/or problems. And... probably the biggest of these problems is the security of a patient's data.
The security of this data is not something that can be taken lightly. In the case of small healthcare providers such as myself or a huge healthcare conglomerate that owns multiple hospitals, every employee needs to take responsibility for the security of data. It only takes one slip up to create a breach.
Last week it was a clerical type of error that left 1.5 million records exposed. The data came from Systema Software, a small company that manages insurance claims. The company somehow managed to leave a huge batch of data readily available for download.
So now it seems that the i nsurance industry also needs to have employee that take responsibility for the security of your data.
For all the details, you can read the story on Gizmodo or by clicking here.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
DENTSPLY and Sirona enter into definitive merger agreement
- Increased Scale and Product Breadth: The combination will result in a company with net revenue of approximately $3.8 billion and adjusted EBITDA of more than $900 million, excluding the incremental benefit of synergies. The combined company will have the industry’s largest sales and service infrastructure, supported by leading distributors.
- Total Solutions Provider: With consumables, equipment and technology under one roof, the new company will be able to deliver digital technologies and integrated solutions and workflows to enhance efficiency and patient care for general practitioners and specialists.
- Strong Commitment to Innovation: The combined company will have an enhanced commitment to innovation in consumables, equipment and technology. By leveraging both companies’ significant R&D capabilities across DENTSPLY’s world-class materials science expertise and Sirona’s industry-leading technology platform, the broadened product offering will support the combined company’s position as a leading innovator in the dental market. DENTSPLY SIRONA will have over 600 scientists and R&D staff working to accelerate the development of new, better, safer and more efficient dental solutions and procedures.
- Experienced Management Team: The combined company will be led by the most experienced management team in the dental industry, with strong track records of growth and leadership in developing differentiated global product offerings. The DENTSPLY and Sirona teams have a successful history collaborating in a number of product categories.