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"Winging" It With Technology— More Time For What Matters
By Dr. Michael Wing That’s my boy! And, that’s who I want to be with, along with the rest of my family when I am not with my patients. The incorporation of technology into my practice has given me more time for what matters and more money for what doesn’t matter as much. I practice in Eagle, Colorado. It’s a small town in the mountains, which can present its own set of challenges but it can also present incredible opportunities when you can separate yourself from the rest. Differentiation provides market advantages regardless of city size—large or small—different is noticed. I pride myself on running a high-tech dental office
Designing Your New Office
By Dr. Mark Tholen CLOTHES MAKES THE MAN—OR WOMAN How superficial. Clothes make the man; the saying implies that image is very important. Although the phrase may not be completely true, first impressions are very important. In fact, psychologists have found that an individual will assess a new acquaintance or environment within 30 seconds to one minute (revealed in the book, Blink), and an overwhelming amount of contradictory information is required to change the originally-formed opinion. What is your patients’ perception of your practice? You might be surprised to learn their actual assessment because we judge ourselves based on our intentions, but others (that is, patients) judge us on our
A World With a New Dimension
By By Martin F. Van Vliet, DMD Three years ago, I implemented two i-CAT® Next Generation 3D cone beam systems for my orthodontic practices. At that time, I believed that this technology would enhance my diagnostic skills and orthodontic treatment planning. However, I did not realize that this versatile imaging modality would lead to a complete metamorphosis in the evaluation and treatment of my orthodontic patients. Three-dimensional imaging and CBCT provide me with accurate pictures without any distortions of the teeth, including roots, structures of the jaws and skull, sinuses, upper respiratory airway, and temporomandibular joints (TMJ). I am able to view the exact locations of unerupted teeth, supernumerary and
TechCentral I.T. Solutions Reshape a Practice
By Jason Werner, Henry Schein TechCentral Every morning the dental team at Porter and Singley Family Dental gathers together for its morning huddle and discusses the day ahead. In the past, the meeting would have involved paper-based schedules with handwritten notes. > When we decided to remodel, we knew we wanted to standardize everything in the > office and incorporate technology that would give our patients a much better > treatment experience, said Dr. Porter. Now they review Dentrix schedules and patient information in real time on the staff lounge big screen TV, making notes as needed. This is just one of the additions made in 2010 when Dr.
University of Washington The Center for Pediatric Dentistry
CENTER FOR PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY - UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Dr. Joel Berg TEACHING CLINIC LEADS THE WAY WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY Imagine frazzled parents bringing their children into the dentist and having to navigate a clinic that was spread out across multiple massive buildings. Not an ideal situation for a parent or child. This was just one of the problems with the previous location of the University of Washington Center for Pediatric Dentistry, which was housed on the main campus in Seattle. The buildings in which it operated were very old, windows were scarce, and the treatment areas were cramped, with just one stool in the corner for parents to sit while
A Passion for Pediatric Dentistry Dr. Lesley Rudolph
SOUTH TAMPA PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY - TAMPA, FL Dr. Lesley Rudolph Realizing that you have outgrown a process or environment can be difficult for some, but for Dr. Lesley Rudolph it was an energizing moment that set her professional career onto a new path. “After a year of practicing in a general dentist’s office, the dentist who owned the business…told me I had outgrown her space,” recalls Dr. Rudolph. “It was time to take another large step toward fulfilling my own professional goals and being able to offer the services that I felt were so important to the pediatric patient.” The contemporary freestanding building is ideal for the practice’s goals. Gaining the
Inspired Dentistry – El Dorado Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
EL DORADO ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY - EL DORADO, CA Dr. Jason A. Straw, El Dorado Hills, CA Dr. Jason A. Straw opened his new oral and maxillofacial office in 2011, fulfilling his goal to offer his patients highly specialized services in an environment that reflects his commitment to excellence in care with the very best in equipment and technology to support that ideal. > “We are now much more productive and the level of efficiency is greatly > increased, bringing our business to a whole new level of success and increased > potential for the future.&rdquo El Dorado Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is located in El Dorado Hills,
Lasers, it’s time to start lighting it up and learning
By Dr. Michael Koceja You have heard all about lasers in dentistry—all the different applications in your everyday delivery of dental care and the ways they can make your practice grow and grow. Your patients like the idea of laser dentistry, and you want to modernize your office. All of this sounds great, but you are still a little hesitant. So, “What Now” laser companies are springing up faster than tulips in April in Wisconsin. You have to have lived there to know what I mean. Every laser company is promising you the world and telling you their product is the best, the latest, the greatest. A whole new
Keep Score and Win With Technology!
By Dr. Gary Kaye Making decisions on when to add a particular technology to the practice has become a task that confronts dental practitioners more and more frequently. The technology is often expensive and how we make those evaluations is varied and often irrational. My experience in almost 20 years of private practice has taught me many things, one of which is that the impulsive reasons for acquiring the technology often end up being expensive mistakes (both in time and money). The same can be said about deciding not to buy something because of an irrational reason (which, incidentally, can be more costly in the missed opportunity, benefit to
E4D Compass™: Showing Us The Right Way
By Curtis E. Jansen, DDS, Monterey, California The E4D Dentist system has changed the way I practice—for the better. I’m a prosthodontist practicing out of Monterey, California. I’ve got a progressive and successful practice with a great team assisting me in providing patients with excellence in dentistry every step of the way. I’ve had the E4D Dentist system for over three years now and it has provided my patients with a unique dental experience every time I’ve used it; digital impressions, restorations in one appointment, and quicker turnarounds with larger cases. All without compromise in form, fit, function, and esthetics. I’ve involved my whole team from Irma, my chairside
Individuality and Compatibility
With so many products vying for individuality these days, it is refreshing to find one that strives for compatibility as well. i-CAT® provides both—a reputation for flexibility in clinical control for individual cases and also compatibility with a variety of other tools to help dentists achieve great results more easily and more precisely. Distinguished from other cone beam systems, Tx Studio™ software was developed exclusively for i-CAT systems. This powerful software package allows doctors to create complete treatment plans for implants (with abutments and restorations), surgical procedures, endodontics, orthodontics, TMD, and airway assessment in minutes. Plus, doctors can build onto the program with a host of special tools. The clinician
Examining Patient Financing
Good for your patients. Good for your practice. We hear about it a lot these days—dental practices getting squeezed by lower consumer spending. The result is less treatment acceptance and lower revenues—and no practice is immune. Economists have even coined a phrase for this belt-tightening and credit-crunching …“the new normal.” But, as any dentist will tell you, patients electing not to get the treatments they need because of financial concerns is far from what they’d like to see as “normal.” Luckily, there are some innovative payment options out there for dentists who want to help their patients, keep money coming into their practice, and avoid becoming debt collectors themselves. Here
A Switch–Just in Time
By Jason Barth, DDS It is a wonderful feeling to make a decision and have absolutely no regrets. Switching from a film-based system to digital radiography was a good choice. Digital is more environmentally friendly than film-based systems that require chemical processing, and images are immediate with no time wasted waiting for developing. It was one of our steps on the path to a paperless office. We did find out, though, that not all digital sensors provide the same quality of images or the same patient comfort. Over the years, I had the opportunity to use several brands of digital sensors. Our recent trade-in to the DEXIS system
Designing and Building the Dental Office That Works for You–A Step-by Step Guide
In designing and building a new office, the ultimate mark of success is revealed a year after completion with the owners’ comment that they would not change any element of the design. Every Journey Starts With the First Step, "Have you been thinking about a new office"…for years? What is keeping you from moving forward with the desire to improve your facility and practice? Many of us will cite circumstances that are seemingly beyond our control (insert your favorite reason here), but after thousands of conversations with doctors over many years, I would suggest two reasons for inaction: fear and inertia. FEAR IS A FOUR LETTER WORD. There is fear
Using the iPad to Optimize Your Practice
My stance has always been that we are not in the dentistry profession working with people but rather working with people providing dentistry. Therefore, “connecting” with patients is key—day in and day out. How do we connect? We ask insightful questions, provide clear explanations, and relate with sincerity. Patients don’t remember necessarily what you said but rather how you make them feel. This creates loyalty as we are developing relationships, and from that, deep mutual trust and respect develops. As a result, patients will follow and accept your treatment advice. This to me is the highest of priorities. —Dr. Cynthia Brattesani It might seem contrary that technology, which is
Dental Lifeline Network: Lives on the Line
Year after year, Dental Lifeline Network has worked to provide comprehensive dentistry for society’s most vulnerable individuals; those with disabilities or who are elderly or medically fragile and have no other way to get help. The money raised through the sale of DentaCheques books and other donations generated 23.6 million dollars worth of dental care last year. With a waiting list of 17,000 patients in need, it is imperative that everyone find a way to support the work of Dental Lifeline Network, either by purchasing a book or even volunteering your time and resources. * Each year approximately 9,000 dental offices purchase a DentaCheques book, a
Secure? Are You Sure?
By Jason Werner, Henry Schein TechCentral PC and network security are hot topics, thanks to ever-evolving Internet threats. Here are 10 rules to live by (even if you’re not a computer geek). Just locking your practice’s front door at night doesn’t mean your practice is totally protected from intrusion or threats. I bet you lock the back door, windows, and employee entrance as well. But what about that thin, little wire that brings you the Internet. In today’s ultra-connected world with Internet access on everything from PCs to phones, you must take computer security precautions seriously or put your practice at risk. Protecting your practice requires you to make
3D – For a Forward-Looking Practice
By Norberto Velázquez, DMD My practice aspirations are to provide more dental options for my patients. This practice, operated by my wife Dr. Laura Davila and me, needs the most up-to-date technology to be able to offer treatment such as implants and orthodontics. At the implant course, I met John Kuzman with Gendex, and discussed their new pan-ceph-3D unit and how it fits with my practice goals. > “Besides the benefits that I gain from 3D imaging, my patients benefit from > increased understanding of their individual dental issues and my treatment > plan.” Why does a general practice need 3D imaging? Three-dimensional imaging takes away many variables in the
Lake Shore Cosmetic Dentistry "Smiles by Ameri" Humble, Texas
Dr. Mash Ameri In preparation, Dr. Ameri attended seminars sponsored by Henry Schein, Inc. and presented by Dr. Mark Tholen, a specialist in the field of dental office design principals. The seminars also featured equipment and technology options that would help to increase practice efficiency and productivity. Equipment Sales Specialist Michael Konesheck, Field Sales Consultant Josh Toppass, Digital Technology Specialist Steven Castaneda, and National Design Group’s Genevieve Cicero combined their expertise in effectively managing the many phases and specifications of the project. Henry Schein Dental’s specialists strive to advise and mentor their customers by listening to their concerns and offering the products and services that work to help them accomplish
Carr Pediatric Dentistry Riverview, Florida
Dr. Natalie Carr The use of a “car” as a branding logo for the business reflects the Doctor’s name and adds an element of whimsy for pediatric patients. For Dr. Natalie Carr, moving forward to reach her professional goals also meant moving back to her hometown of Riverview, Florida. “I had grown up in this area and wanted to move back to open my own practice,” notes Dr. Carr. “After 12 years of working as an associate there were many things I liked about each office…as well as many things that I would have changed. These experiences allowed me to focus on determining choices that I would eventually incorporate into
Johnson Family Dental, Santa Barbara, California
Dr. Steven Johnson Johnson Family Dental’s continuously strong growth had propelled it toward full capacity at its former facility. The time had come to evaluate future needs and develop a plan for keeping up with its diverse activities and specialized services. The availability of retail space at reduced rates because of the recent economic downturn proved beneficial for building a new facility. The focus was on design ergonomics that would enable the maximum use of space while saving footsteps during the day. Better integration and standardization of equipment and technologies was also a prime consideration. With constantly accelerating growth, a well-organized and efficient setup for delivering care was a necessity. “In
Sitting Shouldn’t Have to Be a Job
By Timothy J. Caruso, PT, MBA, MS, Cert. MDT, CEAS Sitting to work or working to sit? Most dental practitioners sit for the majority of the workday. Generally, dental professionals report experiencing discomfort in the back and neck areas most frequently (ADA membership survey 2007). When observing dental professionals, we see that they tend to assume a number of awkward postures and positions during the course of their workday—sometimes referred to as “holding patterns.” The practitioners become so focused on their patients and the procedures they are performing, that they often disregard their position, posture, and level of discomfort. Over time, this can have a negative cumulative effect on their
Gendex – Driving Innovation Across the Nation
After nearly a year in development, the Experience Gendex bus is on the road and coming to dental offices and dental meetings across North America. The bus offers a hands-on opportunity to touch the products that are the centerpiece of Gendex’ most comprehensive product release in company history, as well as products that have already earned reputations for excellence. Outfitted with an abundance of flat screen monitors, iPad®s, and live GPS tracking, this unique coach spotlights these new and exciting launches—the GXDP-700™ Series Pan-Ceph-3D, GXDP-300™ Pan, and GXPS-500™ PSP system. The crown jewel of the bus is the new GXDP-700, which begins as a robust pan that can be
Digital Technological Choices within the General Practice
By By John C. Cranham DD It is hard to imagine now that when I left dental school in the spring of 1988, the vast majority of dental practices did not have a computer on the premises. At the time, the public Internet did not yet exist and a single E-mail had yet to be sent or received. In dental practices the front desk routinely used a ldquo;peg board” to manage the patients’ accounts. All the clinical information, X-rays, and clinical photography were kept safely in the patients’ charts. That was a short 23 years ago. In the fall of 1990, my practice bought our first office computer.