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Entries from October 2006

Problem: The computer is running slowly

October 31st, 2006 · No Comments

Your computer works reasonably well but it runs slowly all the time. It was quite a lot faster in the past but it now takes a long time to start up, shut down or get anything done.
Slow PCs can be caused by several things. Make sure all your drivers are up to date (check the hardware makers’ websites), and see www.windowsupdate.com [1] for the latest Windows patches.
If you installed any software just prior to your PC slowing down, try uninstalling it to see if that cures the problem.
Make sure that the computer’s hard disk is not full. Windows uses parts of the hard disk heavily in daily use for Virtual Memory, so you should have a large part (at least 1Gb, if the drive is larger than 10Gb) free for its use. To change Virtual Memory, right-click on My Computer, select Properties and then click on the Advanced tab. Click on Settings in the Performance box, select the Advanced tab and click on the Change button and then check, and change if required, the settings. Also, try defragmenting the hard disk with the tool built in to Windows. Click on Start, then on All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and finally Disk Defragmenter.

[1] http://www.windowsupdate.com/

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Tags: Hardware · Just for Fun

Kodak Users Meeting Nov 10-12

October 31st, 2006 · No Comments

The East Coast Kodak users meeting will be in Atlanta Nov 10. I will be presenting a session on getting started with Digital Radiography. That is why it is a good choice and how to decide if you are ready. For details look here [1].

[1] http://www.kodakdental.com/usermeetings/dental/index.asp

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Tags: Just for Fun

Technology on the Rocks 2007

October 29th, 2006 · No Comments

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Tags: Just for Fun

Three Computer Types for the Dental Office

October 29th, 2006 · No Comments

Most dental offices will need three different types of computers, a server, business workstations and clinical workstations. Each computer type will have different specifications depending on the job it must do.Server:  This is the main computer which stores all the data and distributes it to the other workstations. This machine should have a powerful processor, lots of memory and big dual hard drives for storage. It does not need any sound or multi-media capabilities. A server for most dental offices will cost from $3,000 to $3,500.Business Workstations: These are the front desk stations. These will be the least powerful machines in the office. They have modest processing requirements, need virtually no hard drive storage and do not need sound or multi-media. A business workstation will cost $1,000 or less.Clinical Workstations: These are the chairside computers and these will need to be much more powerful than the business machines. Chairside computers will be used for patient education, image management, digital radiography, cosmetic imaging, entertainment, intra-oral camera capture and much more. These machines need full multi media capability including sound, CD or DVD, powerful processors and lots of memory. A clinical workstation will cost from $1,800 to $2,200.Some offices may need a fourth type, a consultation workstation. This would be used in a consultation room for case presentations. This machine would be similar to a clinical workstation with full multi media capacity and ideally should include a large impressive monitor. However a consultation workstation would not be used to capture images, radiographs and other data.

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Tags: Hardware

Digital Gnathology

October 28th, 2006 · No Comments

BioRESEARCH [1] has a complete line of diagnostic tools similar to the Myotronics K-7. These include a joint vibration analyzer, an EMG and an array called the JT-3D to track mandibular movements. Recently they also started to offer the Tekscan T-Scan II. This device records occlusal pressure.
You can use these instruments with a Tens unit to create a myofunctional occlusion or with more traditional occlusal systems. Either way they give us accurate diagnostic information we could only guess at in the past.

[1] http://www.biojva.com/

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Tags: Diagnostics

We’ve been numbers for ages

October 28th, 2006 · No Comments

We’ve been numbers for ages [1]

When I tell people about the book I’m writing, and how companies are going to get to know us better and better by analyzing our data, they often reply, “We’ll just be numbers.” My response is that we’ve long been numbers: From cannon fodder at Gettysburg to the millions staring at Superbowl ads, generals and marketers have regarded us as masses of largely undifferentiated numbers. The difference now is that the numbers will increasingly define us as individuals. This is new.
This is what I have been saying regarding data base marketing. This is not mass marketing it is mass customization. Once you begin to develop a data base regarding your patients you can better understand what they want and deliver a better service.

[1] http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/blogspotting/archives/2006/10/weve_been_numbe.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_blogspotting

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Tags: Just for Fun

Top 10 WIERD USB Devices

October 28th, 2006 · No Comments

From PC Magazine here: [1]
The ‘U’ in USB doesn’t stand for ‘universal’ for nothing, you know. A duck-shaped vacuum cleaner (’suck’ puns abound), a vibrating, massaging mollusk (baffled looks abound), and a fondue pot (knee-jerk lactose intolerance kicks in) are among the 10 genuinely bizarre computer-powered gizmos in this roundup. The other keys to strange looks from your coworkers

[1] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2040896,00.asp

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Tags: Just for Fun

Florida Probe goes to the Movies

October 26th, 2006 · No Comments

Florida Probe has a very nice feature that almost no one is aware of. The probe allows users to quickly and accurately record gingival pockets depths and makes great perio charts, but there is more. The Florida Probe software has some exceptional patient education videos built into the program. These are simple and easy to understand. They make using the probe and explaining the significance of periodontal disease easy and fun. Check it out here. [1]

[1] http://www.floridaprobe.com/

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Tags: Diagnostics · Just for Fun

Shade-X

October 26th, 2006 · No Comments

Look here DSI : Shade-X [1] for the complete info.
ShadeX is a new product introduced by X-Rite at the ADA meeting in Las Vegas. This simple wireless device allows users to quickly take a shade using the most advanced digital color matching technology. This is a great device for matching composite shades, following the progress of whitening or just documenting a patient’s shade.
ShadeX retails for under $1,000 and can be ordered from Sullivan Schein

[1] http://www.xrite.com/product_overview.aspx?Industry=14&Segment=16&ID=815

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Tags: Diagnostics

Patients Demand Online Scheduling and E-mail Reminders

October 26th, 2006 · No Comments

Read the whole article here: Patients Demand Online Scheduling and E-mail Reminders [1]

October 25, 2006 — The online poll of 2,624 adults, published in the September 12, 2006, issue of the Wall Street Journal, found that the availability of online services could influence how patients choose health-care providers. Given a choice between a doctor who provides online scheduling and electronic mail and one who doesn’t, the majority said this would influence their choice of doctors “a great deal” or “to some extent.” Seventy-five percent of patients want the ability to schedule a doctor’s visit via the Internet, and 77 percent wanted reminders via email to notify them when they were due for a visit.

[1] http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/10/prweb456782.htm

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Tags: Administrative · Just for Fun · Websites & Internet