• Fluoride does not have to be delivered in the water supply
• Fluoride does not have to be ingested to protect teeth
• Caries has declined at the same rate in countries with/without fluoridated water
• The public receives fluoride from sources other than public water supply
• Studies show that fluoride can cause a list of adverse side effects

What You Should Know
Fluorine, the ionic form of fluoride, is used in over half of the US public water supply because it is thought to reduce the potential for tooth decay. All public water supplies contain trace amounts of fluoride, and the mineral naturally occurs in soils, plants, and animals. Mammals have the highest concentration of fluoride in bones and teeth. Fluoride can build up in the body over time. Too much fluoride can cause bones and teeth to become brittle, and high levels of fluoride are considered poisonous.

Studies and Politics

• In the early 1900s, studies showed that teeth with fluorosis did not decay
• First US public water supply with fluoride was in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945
• Some studies show fluorinated reduces cavities by 20-40% overall, but the validity of these studies is being questioned by anti-fluoride advocates
• The positive effect of the study may be based on topical, not ingested, fluoride, as water passes over teeth before being swallowed
• Public water was fluoridated because it is considered the most cost effective method for widespread, public distribution of fluoride
• In 1950, Wisconsin protested fluoride and was defeated
• In the US, water fluoridation was considered a political plot as part of the “Red Scare” in the 40s and 50s
• The US EPA expressed concerns over fluoridated public water supply in 1985
• In 2005, 11 EPA employee unions worked toward eliminating fluoridation in public water
• In 1990, the National Cancer Institute conducted studies and found no evidence of cancer linked to fluoridated water
• The EPA in California has called for a review of fluoridated water as a cancer risk

Nations that Have Fluoridated Public Water

• Public water fluoridation is currently used in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia
• Sweden & Germany stopped in 1971
• Japan stopped in 1972
• Netherlands stopped in 1976
• Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic, and Soviet Union stopped in 1990
• Finland stopped in 1993

Other Resources

• Proposition 65 in California to Review Cancer Risks Associated with Fluoride
• PubMed’s “Overview of the history and current status of fluoride supplementation schedules”  Garrett County
• Water Fluoridation Factsheet (pro)
• Petition Against Fluoride (anti)
• Fluoride Information Network (pro)

Wise Guy Comment from the Editor
Is the fluoride scare legitimate, or is it a ploy for bottled water companies to keep their heads above, well, water, during an economic slowdown? Sounds silly, but consider that the US is the third greatest consumer of bottled water in the world. By 2011, market forecasts show that the bottled water market in the US will be $174,286.6 million. The big soda pop companies have bottled water products for one reason – money. Bottled water does not contain fluoride, so. Badabing.

Saving lives? It’s all in a day’s work for a proactive dentist!

In this economy, dentists can increase their value to patients by offering dental-related, preventive services. Do you offer stem cell preservation? Do you look for signs of serious non-oral diseases during checkups? Do you treat obstructive sleep apnea and snoring? Do you offer early oral cancer detection? If not, maybe you should!

Stem cell preservation
In the past, stem cell preservation was isolated to extracting cells from a person’s umbilical cord at birth. Now, however, dentists can get in on saving lives! As a dentist, you can bank stem cells for your patients, which could actually save their lives down the road. Stem cells are used to heal bone, skin, cartilage, nerves, and muscles. They can treat diseases that range from Parkinson’s to Leukemia and far beyond. Adult stem cells are found in bone marrow and teeth. Baby teeth, wisdom teeth, and permanent teeth contain stem cells. They are the most powerful type of stem cells in the human body according to research, because they are fast replicators, and they replicate longer than those from other parts of the body. Age plays a factor, though. The younger the patient, the more active the stem cells. If you’re interested in learning how to preserve stem cells for your dental patients, visit: http://www.stemsave.com/.

Identifying symptoms for possible diseases
In an examination, dentists can identify symptoms that may indicate serious health problems. This puts dentists on the front line of defense for early detection, which can lead to early treatment and improved survival potential for patients. Dentists can assess for symptoms that my indicate these conditions:
• Acid reflux
• Bulemia
• Heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Leukemia
• Oral cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Pregnancy
• Sleep apnea
• Stress
• Type 2 diabetes symptoms

Treating obstructive sleep apnea
In North America, about 90 million people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that can increase risk for heart attack and sudden death. Patients who don’t respond well to a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine can turn to their dentist for a more comfortable option – an oral appliance. If you’re interested in offering OSA treatment at your dental practice, consult the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine for more information:
• http://www.aadsm.org/

Early oral cancer detection
By the time oral cancer cells are visible in the mouth, a patient may face a significant potential for early death. The Oral Cancer Foundation tells us that 100 cases are diagnosed in the US every day. It is the sixth most diagnosed type of cancer in the US. Worldwide, about 481,000 cases are diagnosed annually. Oral cancer kills one person per hour, on average. Death is more prevalent with oral cancer than with cervical, laryngeal, testes, endocrine system, and skin cancer, as well as Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With new early oral cancer detection systems, dentists can identify the condition before the cells reach the surface. Half of patients diagnosed with oral cancer do not live five years. Early detection increases a person’s potential for cure to 90 percent!

Learn about early oral cancer detection tools for dentists here:
• www.VELscope.com
• www.ViziLite.com
• www.Trimira.net

An 18-year veteran dentist, Dr. Igor Tsarik of Siberia, has carved/sculpted about 300 teeth, many of which are on display. He uses a drill, heat, and lacquer to create his tooth art, which is a form of Japanese netsuke. Primary teeth are too soft for netsuke, so Dr. Tsarik uses extracted permanent teeth for his art.

How do patients react? Some think the tiny reliefs are really cool. Kids, in particular, appreciate them. However, one African woman fainted when she saw her own tooth transformed.

Read the full story here.

At the conference, Linda Miles  and Dr. Rhona Savage will present “Two Sides of the Management Coin,” a topic they’ve blogged on for months now right here at DentalBlogs. See the official press release from the ADA here…

Registration Opens for ADA’s 150th Annual Session in Hawaii

4/9/2009

150th ADA Anniversary celebration, cutting-edge technology, learning opportunities

Tom Hedge, DentalBlogs contributor and tech guru, got permission from the author to use this sample form for full-mouth rehab cases. Simply download it, amend it, and have your patients sign it.

Open Bite Consent Form
Provided by Daniel R. King, www.AtlantaCenterForCosmeticDentistry.com.

open-bite-consent

Female patients accounted for over half of all cosmetic dentistry cases.

Orthodontics is up 345%! This includes clear braces and traditional ortho. Removable braces make up over half of the cases.

Veneer cases held steady, but the number of male cases increased.

From most popular to least popular, cosmetic dentistry procedures fall in this order: white fillings; crowns, inlays, onlays; veneers; whitening; bridges; implants; orthodontics; gum contouring.

SOURCE: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/127038.php

However even for a big geek like me setting up a new computer is a tedious and frustrating task. However this time I used a slick product that made it much faster and easier. PC Mover from Laplink. I was able to connect the new and old machine with a USB cable and transfer all of my installed applications, all of my data and files and even all of my settings. It worked very well. Not perfect but well.

I still had several irritating issues, like Windows would not recognize my very standard HP printer and the new version of Outlook wouldn’t send out e-mail. But I have it all working now…so far .

I’m going to assume that you have Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista. Given that, you’ll need a graphics card or graphics subsystem that supports multiple displays. Any video card manufactured in the past three years—even the budget cards—can do that. But take a minute to refer to your PC’s manual if your system has only integrated graphics hardware—that is, a graphics adapter that’s built into your system’s motherboard chipset. Some integrated graphics systems can handle more than one display, but others can’t.
The bottom line is that you need a graphics adapter with two physical connectors—either VGA or DVI—and two displays with appropriate connections. If you have a video card with two DVI ports, but one or both of your displays has only VGA connectors, you can obtain DVI-to-VGA adapter dongles.

Multiple Monitors, Multiple Questions – Expert Help by PC Magazine.

Palm announced today the launch of the Treo 755p for the Verizon network. The device is available immediately via Verizon’s site and will be available for purchase in the carrier’s brick-and-mortar locations on January 7th.
The blue-green Treo 755p features a sleeker design than its predecessor, an internal antennae, a higher-resolution color touchscreen, and a full QWERTY keyboard. The device also has a 1.3-megapixel camera, Microsoft Word and Excel editing capabilities, and the ability to view PDF and PowerPoint files.

Gearlog – Gadget Guide by Geeks for Geeks.

D-Link Slashing Prices of 802.11n Routers to under $50? 

According to DigiTimes, D-Link is in the process of slicing the price of its entry-level 802.11n routers to under $50.
Those sort of price cuts may be hard to believe, but a quick search of Google turned up an indication that prices are indeed heading south: the DIR-615 Wireless-N router can be purchased from PC Connection for $59.95, and at TigerDirect for $59.99. (Both are fairly well-regarded shopping sites, but be sure and check ResellerRatings to help determine if a cheap price is too good to be true.)
I don’t believe PC Magazine has reviewed the DIR-615, but the DIR-625 is being sold for about $75 on TigerDirect, where it has received some nice reviews. Stepping up to the DIR-655 will cost you about $130 at NewEgg, but it will also buy you a router that won a PC Magazine Editors’ Choice award.
Keep in mind that any router labeled with a “draft-N” moniker is probably going to be cleared from inventory for marketing purposes before the final standard is ratified next year.

Gearlog – Gadget Guide for Geeks by Geeks – View More.

Mini Silver Keyboard
Price $79.95

Product Details

Features
11.81″W x 5.91″D x 0.71″H
88 standard size keys.
Functionality of a 104 keyboard.
Great for desk with limited work space.
Available in PS/2, USB or USB with bilt-in Hub
Scissors keycaps makes typing silent, stable and comfortable
Fully compatible with Windows 95 98 Me, NT 2000 XP

Mini Silver Keyboard – See Options.

When we first moved computers to the back we used the desktop model and had a single data entry point with a keyboard and mouse on the assistant’s side. As we developed the electronic chart and started using digital radiology, computerized notes, digital imaging and patient education we soon discovered we needed more input access.

For example, if the doctor wanted to view or manipulate a certain x-ray he would have to ask the assistant to bring it up on the screen and then manipulate it. As you can imagine this was a problem and ended up taking two people to do the job of one in a pretty ineffective manner. The same problem occurred with chart information. If the dentist wanted to read the previous appointment notes or review the treatment plan he had to ask the assistant, in front of the patient, to do it for him. Or worse yet he had to get up and move to the other side of the room, break asepsis, and do it, again in an ineffective manner.

The solution was a second input device on the doctor’s side of the room. This can be any type of input; we used a pen and tablet, a touch pad and even a wireless infrared keyboard. However we found what really worked well was a simple mouse.

In recent years the introduction of inexpensive and reliable wireless mice and keyboards has made this easier to accomplish.

“These are awesome and very versatile machines, I think they will
transform dental computing in the near future. We have them installed in
four different offices to date and our clients love the size and
mounting options.  Plus they are just plain cool (literally) at 95 Watts.

We did a show special featuring the 945-D with slot loading DVD-RW,
Intel 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo CPU 667MHz FSB, Intel 945 Chipset, 2GB DDR-2
SODIMM 667MHz RAM, 80GB HDD, and XP Pro for $999.00.”

Random Access Memory: This is abbreviated as RAM. RAM was measured in Megabytes, or MB. New computers are now available with 1000MB which is a gigabyte. RAM is the active memory a computer has to process or manipulate data. The higher the RAM number the more memory is available. More RAM will allow you to do more things on the computer simultaneously and faster. Having too little RAM is a common cause of computer freezes or crashes. If this happens then you use the alternative RAM definition, Rarely Adequate Memory.

The two kinds of memory or storage confuse some people. A useful analogy is to think in terms of books. The hard drive storage is the total data you have available. It is like all the books you have on the shelves. The more shelves you have the more hard drive storage you have. The RAM memory is the book you have taken off the shelf and are currently reading. RAM is like your desk, the bigger the desk the more books you can keep open on it.

Product Overview

Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper.
Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing.
Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed.
Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.
More than 88,000 books available, including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.
New York Times® Best Sellers and all New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.
Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly.
Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times.
More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN’s Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post.
Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces.
Holds over 200 titles.
Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.
Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot.
No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read.
Includes free wireless access to the planet’s most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org.
Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.

Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store.

The average computer user only becomes aware of his or her hard drive in two circumstances: When it fills, or when it fails.

Hard Drives: Under the Hood.

Follow the link if you want to learn more.

Bottom Line:The Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ is an excellent combination of small-business RAID muscle, gigabit throughput, and home-oriented media features. It’s expensive, but worth the price if abundant storage, fast transfers, and RAID reliability are what you need.

Pros: Fast transfers. Supports the three major desktop OSs. Granular performance-tweaking settings. Well-behaved network client. Many features.

Cons: Some parts of setup are tricky. Attached USB hard drives must be FAT or FAT32, not NTFS. Expensive.

Netgear ReadyNAS NV+: At A Glance – Reviews by PC Magazine.

Dentists will have a single source for hardware purchase, set up, service and support. It will eliminate the blame game between hardware and software vendors and help dentists get the right computers and keep them running efficiently.

OATS will launch within a limited area by the end of the year. I will provide more information as the project progresses.

So the lesson is buy what you need to do a good job in the office today. Don’t try and buy a computer for what you will be doing three years from now. Because in three years there will be computers four times better than what you can get today.

CrystalTalk™ (kris’t?l-tôk). n. Noise-canceling technology manufactured by Motorola; “a bundling of microphone noise reduction and noise adaptive speaker enhancements meant to improve the clarity and intelligibility of speech while you are in a noisy environment.” – Motorola.com

Motopure H12 = H680 + CrystalTalk – Gearlog#more.