Philips iPill

Quoting Charles Osgood "when you take a pill how does the medicine know where to go?" Philips has developed the "smart pill" - iPill. Read here- I will be checking in with the company for more info.

http://www.research.philips.com/newscenter/backgrounders/081111-ipill.html

The Apprentice- See me On TV

Thanks to Marty Jablow for this nomination

New product summary from IDS- part 1

Finally getting time this weekend to put up the new info from Cologne and Atlanta. I will put it up in pieces as I review my notes. Many of the products that were shown are not yet available in the US- they need either FDA or 510K approval. I have been told not to publish precise info on some of these until the actual launch but I will leave hints around here. This is just from memory:
A new ultrasonic scaler with a calculus detector built in- does a "seek and destroy" as it comes across calculus on the root.
An endo apex locator with "GPS" - you can see the position of the file in the canal on the computer screen, as it transmits with a bluetooth system.
How about a new caries detection system using blue-ray laser technology.
A perio pocket/root canal "sterilization" system using a "special " liquid and red light- clinical studies are showing things like resolved peri-implantitis. Not a laser.
Also in the same vein, Ozone generators that are smaller and apparently safer ( not according to the US I guess).
A mini diode laser under $10K that goes up to 8 watts.
A new method ( actually been around for a year) of testing implant integration using sound waves.
New implants from Spain ( Klockner) with a unique dual morse taper/screw retained design ( just now hitting the US).
Loads of conebeam CT units
Over 80 CAD/CAM systems
One new intraoral scanner- Hint-Els- same unit they showed 2 years aog- still not ready!!
New intraoral digital radiograph sensors- One with only 2 wires and Kevlar coated wire- can be twisted like a pretzel and has a magnetic quick disconnect that works like a tearaway football jersey if inadvertently pulled.
New intraoral sensor with no box- just a wire direct from the sensor to the USB connector ( electronics somehow jammed into the actual sensor.

Details forthcoming here and of course in my column and courses- I am all set with new material for a year!!!

Way Behind in the blog

Over committed, I have just returned from the IDS meeting in Cologne Germany. I left for that meeting one day after I returned from the Hinman meeting in Atlanta. I have a few notes from that wonderful meeting, that I will post this week. IDS was an experience of a lifetime for me professionally. I will have many products to report about, although some are not yet available in the US waiting for 510K and/or FDA approval. Let me get past the jet lag type away here.

One of the greatest pieces of new technology that I used at both of these meeting as well as typing this entry, is thanks to Marty Jablow. It is the Dell Mini 9 laptop. weighing in at about 2 pounds, this gem has a solid state hard drive (only 16 GB) and no CD drive, but enough USB ports as well as an SD card slot to make up the difference in storage. It cost about $320 from delloutlet.com loaded with WinXP (home) and 1 GB RAM. I changed that out to the max 2GB for about $30. (if anyone needs a 1GB laptop memory stick let me know). Wireless works flawlessly and I was able to carry it around in my shoulder bag.
Need sleep.......

Chicago MidWinter Meeting

Let me go over this backwards. Sunday was a bust. Snow started lightly in Chicago and many people left early and skipped the meeting floor.

My 6 PM flight to Manchester NH was cancelled early in the day and I was told I could get out TUESDAY. With a little fussing I was able to get a 4 PM flight to Boston. 2 problems- I had to leave the floor early, thus missing my last dash around to report on new products I had seen earlier, and my car is still in Manchester NH. This is a real problem as it is a Subaru all wheel drive that I will need Monday as we are expecting up to 2 feet of snow overnight. For those of you who did not get out tonight and were headed east, see you Tuesday.

I was hoping to see Mike Williams ( allegedly the inventor of the intraoral camera) who was showing a new 3D monitor that does not require glasses and somehow allows the user to grab the image and manipulate it. Some limited info is at http://www.ifo2.com/

I also missed an introduction to CariFree - a caries risk assessment process that I need to learn more about.

I did see the trimara identifi 3000, the prodrive handpiece system, the ios3d intraoral scanner, a new mouthpiece for isolite, a couple of new intraoral cameras ( air techniques and rfamaerica). an iPhone app for Lexicomp and more. I will proabably have no patients Monday with the snowstorm so perhaps time to post a lot of products here.

coming to Chicago armed with cel phone

Coming to Chicago armed with this cel phone. Hope to blog close to live when I am there. Teaching classses all day Thursday and Friday AM-once I hit the floor Friday afternoon it will be non-stop looking for new and re-aquainting with old.

Disposable electronics?

Every once in a while a gizmo breaks in my house or office. The cost of repairing an old VCR or pair of headphones becomes ridiculous. I recently had to throw out an HP multifunction printer- the cable that runs the print heads had jammed and broken. HP or actually anyone wanted about $200 for a repair IF they could do it. A new, better one was $399 .

Recently my RCA combo VCR/DVD recorder died. No power- no lights. Must be a dead power supply. I checked RCA and the store that I had gotten it from and found it was of course out of warranty and this brand line was actually sold from RCA to another company. I figured I would search for a new one and in the process decided to go to Google and type in " power supply problem RCA VCR/DVD recorder ( and the model #)". Lo and behold there were many posts about a known problem with a capacitor in the power supply. One nice guy from PA had posted "send me an email and I will give free you step by step instructions on how to replace this for under $10"-even an dentist could do this! His underlying message was that we consumers are getting screwed by manufacturers who put out items in a hurry without proper testing and as long as they last 1 year and a day, they are fine.

Thanks to Mike Adams in PA who sent me this info along with some nice things to say about dentistry and his dentist.

New Intraoral Impression Scanner-IOS FastScan

To be introduced at Chicago MW and viewed in the Glidewell booth. http://www.ios3d.com/ . You hold it in one position and the light moves and scans. It can also scan impressions. Lots more info and video on the site. The product is still in final revisions so it is not just yet commercially available. More reports after I see it in 2 weeks.

New Oral Cancer Screening Device-Identafi 3000

This is from the press release. I will be using this device in ,my office as soon as it is available and report here. Info is at :http://www.trimira.net/

Houston-based Trimira™ LLC has introduced Identafi™ 3000, a small, cordless, handheld device that can detect oral cancer. The device uses a three-wavelength optical illumination and visualization system to allow dental professionals to catch early cancers not visible to the naked eye. This effective and affordable device will aid in early detection of oral cancer. Identafi 3000 uses white, violet, and amber wavelengths of light to excite oral tissue in distinct and unique ways. Biochemical changes can be monitored with fluorescence, while morphological changes can be monitored with reflectance. This multiple wavelength technology identifies abnormal tissue with more accuracy than the single color approaches currently on the market.

No More 3 Ring Circus

Click Ray has introduced a universal xray ( sensor, PSP or film) positioning system called ClickStick. Info is at http://www.clickray.com/ It will be officially introduced at the Chicago Midwinter meeting.

Posting from Cel Phone

I can now post from my cel phone. This can be dangerous.

Yankee Dental review

The feeling of the meeting planners is that this was a success. The many commuting and parking issues of last year seemed to have been resolved. Floor traffic was heavy at the times that the courses were let out- there seemed to be a 3 hour window mid-day that flooded the floor. The complaints were actually directed more at the convention center location and comparisons to the "old location". Since this center is not in the middle of downtown, you have to commute to get to shopping and restaurants. Strangely, this is the same setup as other meetings such as Chicago MW, but the attendees from years past miss that immediacy of walking out of the front door of the Hynes and strolling down Newbury Street.

There were always lines of waiting people at the magnification/loupes/headlights booths down to the closing bell- perhaps I will revisit this area as dentists, assistants and hygienists I spoke with all felt an urgency for these.
There were some innovative new handpieces- air, electric, "hybrids" and even hygiene. Notable were the Midwest stylus electric controlled air handpiece that uses feedback to maintain constant speed even when the bur is leaned on. Morita showed a unique "dual turbine" design with a 2 year warranty that, at least cutting at the show, was quite robust. Kavo had a new hybrid although i did not have a chance to review it. Electrics will surely increase their presence.
A number of web based companies all promise getting you at the top of the search engines, all stating they had deals with Google. Pricing ran a wide spread. Something again to investigate here. Also new ideas of patient contact- Smile Reminder has a clever video setup that puts your patients testimonials online. Lighthouse PLZ has an incredible array of tools to keep you in contact with your patients. Too many to list here- they will all be noted on my website online handout with the live links at http://www.computersindentistry.com/

More posting later.

Exxon Mobil posts record profits

I digress for a minute here- this should raise a few eyebrows in this tough economic time:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Exxon Mobil made history on Friday by reporting the highest quarterly and annual profits ever for a U.S. company, boosted in large part by soaring crude prices.
Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said fourth-quarter net income rose 14% to $11.66 billion, or $2.13 per share. The company earned $10.25 billion, or $1.76 per share, in the year-ago period.

Exxon also set an annual profit record by earning $40.61 billion last year - or nearly $1,300 per second in 2007. That exceeded its previous record of $39.5 billion in 2006.

Yankee Day One- CEREC AC

Had a full demo of the new CEREC AC with the CEREC Bluecam . I was able to scan a full arch in about 3 minutes the first time through- Probably could get it down to 2 minutes and a lot less if it were just a quadrant. A few notable features. It only has to be positioned from the occlusal unless there is a veneer. You move it across the teeth in steps, however instead of hitting a foot pedal or clicking anything, it does it automatically and you move it to the next spot. We were able to start a scan from upper right (#2) through #8, then stop and start at the other end of the arch, #15 and work around from the other side. As soon as we hit #8 the whole arch was "stitched together".
BIG NEWS. The computer keeps track of each click. You can remove any section ( click area) and redo it at any time. This is HUGE if you had done a scan, look a the prep and decide it needs any modification. Reprep, delete the click area, rescan just that area ( the prep for example) and you are back in business.
Sirona also has many purchase options- some based on a "pay per case" basis. You can get into the acquisition unit for export to an "IN-Lab Lab" for under $25,000, with the small milling unit for about $60,000 all the way up to an outright purchase with the XL milling center for about $120,000. Info is at http://www.cereconline.com

Yankee dental preview

A snowstorm is on its way Wednesday which might cause some attendees and exhibitors to arrive late. Should all be over by the evening. My friend Lorne Lavine is presenting the first of his 5 courses Wednesday afternoon. Might not be a full house...

Yankee Dental 2009

This week is Yankee dental in Boston. They are already predicting snow. It is in the new Convention center. Last year had many challenges, mostly having to do with transportation to and from the center. The reality is that there is heavy traffic in Boston and it is not easy to get across town. Also there were no real facilities near the center- only 1 hotel ( Westin) really in walking distance. Yankee has made sure that only attendees and no exhibitors can register in the Westin. I also believe that they are serving lunch in the exhibit hall ( free???). I will get in Wednesday night- lets see how they do this year.

Welcome 2009

I have tried setting up a blog before and seem to get easily sidetracked. New Year, new try. I hope to be as prolific as my mentors John Flucke and Marty Jablow who seem to be able to post any time any where. Also Lorne Lavine who has an endless supply of helpful hints that clog up my list of programs on my PC ;-) . In some cases I will get info from other blogs and rss feeds. I will always acknowledged these. Wish me luck.

Paul