• Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    The Future of Dental Trade Shows: On the Internet?

    DDS Tech Fair

    Dental Economics magazine is trying something novel and innovative – a dental trade show on the internet.

    And, why not?

    It is a pain in the ass for the active practicing dentist to run out to a dental society or other dental organization sponsored trade show in a distant locale to attempt to look at a product with a horde of other folks crowding around. Besides the exact product that you may be researching may not be there or the booth/exhibit space so crowded you cannot see it demonstrated.

    Then, there is the competing dental continuing education that NEVER allows enough time to get down to the exhibit floor.

    Flap knows of the dental manufacturers and sales representative concern about the costs of these shows. It is a legitimate concern and pushes up the costs of dental care unnecessarily.

    A virtual trade show is a step in the right direction.

    From the press release:

    Flap has moved the graphic press release which has active links for registration here. Check it out.

    For more information, visit http://www.ddstechfair.com/

    Oh, by the way, Flap has not accepted any gratuity or anything from the companies featured in the press release over at My Dental Forum.


  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Today: Quantum Detection of Tooth Decay

    dentistrymarch23aweb

    Quantum Detection of Tooth Decay

    A new laser device designed to detect the earliest stages of tooth decay could help dentists stop cavities in their tracks.

    A newly developed laser device that uses thermal radiation and light waves to detect tiny, subsurface lesions in teeth could potentially unseat x-rays as the diagnostic standard in dental care.Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Advanced Diffusion Wave Studies say that the technology can spot lesions as small as 50 microns in between teeth, one of the most difficult spaces to spot cavities, and up to 5 millimeters below the surface of a tooth. This is well outside the boundaries of x-ray detection without exposing the patient to radiation. The researchers built a clinical prototype of the device this month and plan to begin clinical tests next year.

    Detecting the earliest signs of decay could bring big changes to dentistry. “You need to lose about 30 percent of the mineral before you begin to see it on an x-ray; that’s why these new technologies are so exciting,” says Christopher Fox, executive director of the International Association for Dental Research, based in Alexandria, Virginia, and a 20-year industry veteran. “If we can detect early mineral loss, we have different intervention technologies we can use to prevent getting to that drill and fill point.”

    Fox calls Quantum’s approach “very interesting” but says that x-rays will always be needed to assess periodontal health, such as the deterioration of bone structure around the teeth.

    dentistrymarch23bweb

    Testing teeth: Researchers at the University of Toronto have just assembled a clinical prototype of a new laser device (shown above) that measures thermal and light frequencies to detect early signs of decay below a tooth’s surface, where demineralization is difficult to spot with x-ray technology. The optical pen beams heat-emitting infrared light onto a tooth’s surface, and sensors within the pen measure heat and light waves that bounce back. Certain wave patterns can reveal loss of mineral content in a tooth, a sign of early decay that can lead to troublesome cavities. Credit: Quantum Technologies

    Don’t discard the x-rays yet, Doc. But, this technology looks promising for another significant diagnostic tool for the dentist – one that can detect early caries, earlier than ever before.

    Previous:

    Dentistry Today: The Ultreo – Ultrasound Toothbrush

    Flap’s Dental Files


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  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Today: Regrow Your Own Teeth

    Set of teeth on display at a dental show. Snaggle-toothed hockey players and sugar lovers may soon rejoice as Canadian scientists said they have created the first device able to re-grow teeth and bones.

    AFP: Smile! A new Canadian tool can re-grow teeth say inventors

    The researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton filed patents earlier this month in the United States for the tool based on low-intensity pulsed ultrasound technology after testing it on a dozen dental patients in Canada.

    “Right now, we plan to use it to fix fractured or diseased teeth, as well as asymmetric jawbones, but it may also help hockey players or children who had their tooth knocked out,” Jie Chen, an engineering professor and nano-circuit design expert, told AFP.

    Chen helped create the tiny ultrasound machine that gently massages gums and stimulates tooth growth from the root once inserted into a person’s mouth, mounted on braces or a removable plastic crown.

    The wireless device, smaller than a pea, must be activated for 20 minutes each day for four months to stimulate growth, he said.

    It can also stimulate jawbone growth to fix a person’s crooked smile and may eventually allow people to grow taller by stimulating bone growth, Chen said.

    Tarek El-Bialy, a new member of the university’s dentistry faculty, first tested the low-intensity pulsed ultrasound treatment to repair dental tissue in rabbits in the late 1990s.

    His research was published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and later presented at the World Federation of Orthodontics in Paris in September 2005.

    Quick sell your dental implant stocks……

    Seriously. this looks like an interesting prospect but won’t be replacing conventional dentistry and/or dental implants anytime soon.

    Discuss this blog post and MORE…. at the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blogs, My Dental Forum.


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  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Technology Watch: The IGI System for Dental Surgery Navigation

    MedGadget: The IGI System for Dental Surgery Navigation

    We are continuing our coverage of this year’s Medical Design Excellence Awards. One of the two winners in the dental category was DenX Advanced Dental Systems Ltd., a Jerusalem, Israel based company. According to a press release, its IGI system for surgical navigation “assists in the preoperative and intraoperative phases of dental implantation surgery, accurately guiding surgical instruments according to a CT-based presurgical plan.”
    Here is the company on its product:

    With IGI, the dental clinician can be assured of a comprehensive navigational solution where:

    – pre-surgical planning matches the surgical performance

    – critical structures are accurately defined and avoided

    – the implant is precisely placed and

    -on-line treatment, follow up and data storage are provided…

    The company website is here.


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  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Today: VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer

    VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer

    VIOLight sanitizes your toothbrush and prevents contamination build-up. Even after a thorough rinsing, thousands of germs can remain on your toothbrush, creating the potential for harmful bacteria to grow. In just minutes, VIOLight sanitizes your toothbrush with UV light. After each use, place your toothbrush in the battery-operated case; the UV bulb automatically shuts off after the sanitation cycle is done. Case has a removable tray that stores the brush until your next use. Bulb lasts 1,000 hours. Measures 8½ x 2¼ x ¾”. (3 oz)

    This is a great gadget, especially in the flu season.

    H/T Medgadget

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  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Today: Fabulous Smiles

    Check out this web-based cosmetic dentistry imaging service, Fabulous Smiles.

    There are at least sixty-six proportional relationships on the human face that relate to the symmetry of the face and smile. Those ideal relationships, recognized and used by Euclid, Leonardo daVinci and Michelangelo are known as Golden Proportions. When these golden proportions are present the face appears to us as attractive, even beautiful.

    The reality is that not everyone has golden proportions. The further each person’s facial proportions are from Golden the more difficult it is to design a smile and teeth that retain a sense of symmetry and harmony in the individual. Fabulous Smiles recognizes that one need not necessarily be “golden” to still be attractive, but that individual’s proportions are consistent within the face and smile.

    By evaluating each person’s individual facial proportions and dimensions, it is possible to establish a Personal Aesthetic Ratio or PAR for each face. These measurements can be used to design anterior teeth that bring out the best features and harmony to the individual patient.

    Each individual has a tooth shape, tooth size and most importantly the placement of those teeth that would best reflect their own personal proportions. This is the key to designing the best smile for each person. Fabulous Smiles does exactly that; evaluates the face, the proportions and the symmetry of each person and designs a smile that is best for them.

    This service with its software is definitely worth a look. There are no large cash outlays for hardware or software and the learning curve is reasonable.

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  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Today: Safer Use of Scalpels

    Check out this new device from Down Under, Invention aids safer use of scalpels.

    An Australian company has produced a device to make scalpels safer, reducing the risk of injury to doctors and nurses.

    The device, called a sterile blade remover, was developed by Brisbane based company Qlicksmart and is expected to reduce accidents involving scalpels by half.

    The Qlicksmart website is here.

    It enables staff to remove blades and put them in clear containers without the risk of injury.

    Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane launched the device at St Vincent’s and Mercy Private Hospital in Melbourne.

    “Now not only does that protect the nurses or the doctor or whoever is handling the scalpel from cutting themselves when they remove the used scalpel blade, but it allows it to be kept in such a way that the blades can be counted at the end of the operation and that’s a very important part of any medical procedure,” he said.

    Flap likes the part about the doctor or assistant not cutting themselves.

    Definitely a winner of a product.

    H/T Medgadget

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  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Technology Watch: FDA Approves TMJ Total Replacement System

    The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Total Temporomandibular Joint Replacement System, manufactured by Walter Lorenz Surgical, Incorporated.

    The approval letter is here.

    What is it? The Total Temporomandibular Joint Replacement System is a prosthetic jaw joint.

    How does it work? The device is a ball and socket joint with one side mounted to the jaw and the other side mounted to the head in front of the ear. A surgeon implants the joint after removing any old devices, unsuccessful grafts, and badly damaged bone.

    When is it used? The device is used for patients who need a total jaw replacement due to one or more of the following conditions:

    • severe arthritic conditions
    • fused joints
    • previous multiple surgeries
    • severe fractures
    • tumors
    • severely degenerated joints
    • severe developmental abnormalities that cannot be treated by other means

    What will it accomplish? The device may reduce jaw pain, reduce interference with eating and increase the ability to open the mouth. Patients who have had many previous jaw surgeries may have more complications during joint reconstruction.

    When should it not be used? The device should not be used for partial TMJ joint reconstruction, or if the patient:

    • has an active or chronic infection
    • has insufficient bone to support the device
    • has a systemic disease with increased susceptibility to infection
    • has an allergy to any materials used in the device
    • has mental or neurological conditions, and is unwilling or unable to follow postoperative care instructions
    • is skeletally immature
    • has severe hyper-functional habits (e.g. clenching or grinding teeth).
    • has a foreign body reaction due to previous implants

    Additional information: The Summary of Safety and Effectiveness and labeling will be available at: http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf2/p020016.html


    The Lorenz Surgical site is here.

    For the individuals who need total joint replacement there is now another solution.

    Stay tuned for more developments in this area of TM joint replacement and/or modification.

  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry

    Dentistry Technology Watch: The TEC Sport Jacket

    For the technological suave dentist – The TEC Sports Jacket.

    The TEC Sport Jacket is the epitome of functional fashion. It combines European styling with American ingenuity. This 3 button navy blue blazer comes in a worsted wool blend, with a silky gold lining. It offers 14 hidden pockets, a Personal Area Network and an abundance of features designed to make your life easier. Imagine what would happen if Giorgio Armani and Bill Gates were stranded on a desert island, and you’ll have a good idea of what the TEC Sport Jacket offers.

    Indeed.

  • Dental Technology,  Dentistry,  General

    Dentistry Technology Watch: Digital Dental Cameras Price Reductions

    Canon continues the popular G-Series line of digital cameras with the new G6. The G6 expands all the features of the G5 with additional resolution – 7.1 megapixel resolution.

    The Digital Dentist, Dr. Lorne Lavine, has The Bottom Drops Out.

    The big news with digital cameras doesn’t seem to be exciting new cameras (although I’m sure new models are on the way). Rather, the steady decline in prices is the big story. Want an entry-level digital camera with “the works” (Camera, 32MB memory card, high quality macro lens, lighting attachment, memory card reader (for fast image transfer to the computer), hard case and Canon image organization software)? How does $1195 grab you? That’s what they are charging for their Canon A95 kit. The ever-popular G6 is down to $1495, and even the fantastic Rebel XT with Sigma 105mm lens, which debuted at over $2500, is now under $2000.

    With fast USB 2 connections (either directly connected or with card readers) attached to intra-operatory computers with LCD monitors a number of dentists are using these digital still cameras in lieu of the more expensive and often quirky intra-oral cameras. Portrait and full profile photos are a snap and intra-oral mirrors aid in that close-up tooth or tissue view.

    So, why not……?

    Canon continues to refine and enhance their digital camera line with the new Rebel XT. In comparison to the original Digital Rebel, the Rebel XT has more resolution (8.0 vs 6.3 megapixel) and is 25% lighter and smaller. The Rebel XT also includes many of the features that made the Canon 20D popular for dental photography: ultra-fast startup time (0.2 secs), RAW + JPG mode, DIGIC II processor, USB 2.0, advanced color adjustment controls and custom functions for personalized camera operation.

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