This is not the Twilight Zone or Ripley’s Believe It or Not.  Sometimes, however, our experiences tell us otherwise. We’ve all experienced technical conundrums—bizarre behavior exhibited by our computers, or MP3 players, our phones, or some other piece of electronic wizardry. By all rights, technical stuff is rooted in logic, so strange things shouldn’t happen, but they do. We’re not talking about stuff that happens to everyone; a bad device driver, for instance, can ruin life for every user who ownsthe affected part. We mean stuff that only happens to the few, the ones who call tech support and baffle everyone to whom they speak from the lowly key puncher to the senior geek in charge.
We’re here to tell you that you’re not alone. We’ve been baffled, too. Read on, to delve into times when the armies of ExtremeTech and Ziff-Davis itself—known the world over for technical proficiency—thought they woke up in the Bermuda Triangle.
The Black Holes of Tech [1].
Check the link above to read the whole thing

[1] http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2154190,00.asp

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Going paperless is a process not an event. At first you will need the paper charts on all your patients as you will be referring to the previous paper entries. As time goes on you will need to refer less and less to the old paper records. After a year all the current x-rays will be digital and all the patients recent entries and treatment plans should be digital. It is now possible to stop pulling charts. However at first you will need to refer to the old charts fairly often for entries or x-rays more than a year old. Eventually you will rarely ever need to pull a chart.

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A very simplified version of laser mechanics, the laser produces a beam of light energy that is coherent and collimated. That means the light is all the same wavelength and it is focused into a fine beam.
The various lasers used in dentistry are usually identified by the resonating material such as Yag, diode, chromium, CO2 or Alexandrite. This material is what determines the wavelength of the laser.
Different wavelengths of light energy are absorbed by different substances. For example some wavelengths are absorbed by water and some wavelengths pass right through water. If a substance absorbs the laser energy it will immediately take on the energy of the laser, usually as heat. The rapid heating of the tissue is what causes the changes we see with a laser.
Each wavelength will effect the tissues in quite different ways. For example a diode laser is absorbed by dark colors such as hemoglobin. That makes it ideal for cutting soft tissue but it will have no effect on tooth structure.
It is possible to focus the laser energy into a very narrow band so that it affects the tissue practically on a cellular level.

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Digital cameras have evolved to the point that they should be used in dentistry in place of traditional 35mm film cameras. They can be used for documentation, imaging, teaching, marketing and just about anything else you could think to use a camera for. And they will do it faster, more effectively and usually easier than a traditional camera. The only problem is that digital cameras are everywhere. They range in price from a few hundred dollars to many thousands. How do you choose a camera for use in the dental office?
To effectively use digital photography in the dental office the dentist will not only need the proper camera but he/she will need lens adaptors, a remote ring flash or diffuser, memory media, a media reader, batteries, possibly a battery charger and most importantly instructions. Finding the right camera and putting all the accessories together can be an expensive time consuming process. Most dentists should consider a kit from Photo-Med [1], Norman Camera [2].

[1] http://www.photomed.net/
[2] http://www.normancamera.com/index-exec/

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From Ergotron http://www.ergotron.com/ [1] this is a nice solution for the pano computer in a hallway
Vertical Lifts – OverviewThe Vertical Lift (VL Series) is a low-profile, wall-mounted module that allows quick positioning of a monitor and keyboard. It’s perfect for areas where multiple operators use a single computer workstation.

Low profile: In storage position, system depth as little as 4″
Height adjustment of 9″; keyboard and LCD move in tandem
Two versions: Standard Keyboard Tray model or Slide-Out Keyboard Tray model
VESA FDMI compliant for easy monitor attachment
5-year warranty

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

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Artful Persuasion,  Harry Mills
Selling the Invisible,  Harry Beckworth
Fish, Stephen C. Lundin, et al
The E-Myth Revisited,  Michael Gerber
First Break all the Rules,  Marcus Buckingham
The Tipping Point,  Malcolm Gladwell

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