Techalyzer

If you have a dental practice and have a limited budget then you are probably wondering how to pristine the purchases of new technology. If you must invest in five essential pieces of technology for your dental practice then the president of Design Ergonomics has some advice for you. David Ahearn is the president of this Dental and design firm which is devoted to working with dental equipment and technology and improving both the dentist and dental patient’s experience of using it.

According to David Ahearn there are five technologies that you cannot do without. One of the first things on that list was a television set on the ceiling. Watching television while wearing headphones is one of the best ways to help allay the anxieties of patients. It is what Ahearn calls a “slam dunk” technology as it keeps so many patients amused while they are waiting for treatment in the office as well. Make sure you also hand that patient a remote control so that he or she feels more in control of the dental experience as well.

Yet another thing he recommends is cassettes for holding your instruments. Having all of your instruments set up in cossets is well worth the money as it makes your procedures go much quicker. It also helps you keep organized and look more organized to the patient.

The third piece of slam-dunk technology that he recommends for dentists is a high-speed autoclave unit. These units compliment the instrument cassettes as they help to sterilize it all. You keep things hygienic and with both units nearby each other you have less risk of losing any equipment.

A digital pan is also on this dental agronomist’s lit of must have technological assists. A digital pan is fast, efficient and the images that you get from this type of interior camera is well worth it. Most dentists who use it say there is quite a leap of quality between the two that can be visually appreciated.

The fifth must have technological advance are electric hand pieces. These newer pieces have tremendous torque. They don’t spin at the same speed as the more old fashioned air driven ones but they don’t slow down once they touch a tooth. People forget that once you touch the air driven type of piece to a tooth the burr slows down dramatically. The increased torque on these new electronic hand pieces substantially makes up for the difference in speed. They give your more control and also tremendous visibility inside your patient’s mouth as the lighting on the newest models truly is a technological marvel.

So if you are going to make technological additions to your office these are the ones to have. Note that all of them not only enhance your experience as a dentist but also your customer’s experience of being worked on by you as they help to either entertain or calm the patient or get the patient’s teeth done in a more expedient and hygienic way.

According to John Meiss, author of the much circulated “Something Simple” Series for dental practictioners there are three things that dentists need to know when it comes to acquiring new technology to make your dental practice more appealing to your patients.

The first thing that you need to learn is that it is usually the tired generation of a new technology that is the most affordable. If you want to save money wait until the third generation of the product is released as by then not only has the design of the technology been improved (because all of the bugs have been worked out) but also the novelty has worn off so the product is immensely more affordable. It loses what Meiss calls its “cool factor” and does not, as a result cost near as much.

The second thing that you need to know about technology is to never let it control your practice. Your technology should never drive any of your processes including your treatment processes or your communication processes. You need to be in control. This type of technology should only be used to drive the processes that you currently have in place now.

Unfortunately some dentists become obsessed with gadgets and dentistry is a business that is full of all kinds of tempting, yet expensive gizmos. It is a mistake to use technology for technology’s sake. This does not impress anyone including the patients. To be worth it the gizmo or gadget or flashy new piece of technology must serve some kind of efficient or effective purpose or it can throw your entire dental practice off course.

Meiss talks about how he bought a CEREC machine, which is used for making veneers. He became enamored of the gadget but it took a long time for him to admit that the veneers that it made were not as great as the ones made using the simple stacking process that were sent off to the labs. Furthermore they took hours and hours to make whereas just having them made in a lab produced faster, more predictable results. The point is that you must ask yourself if the technology that you want to buy is the best use of that particular piece of equipment and if it is the best use of any money that you may have put away to invest in new equipment for your dental practice.

The third thing that Meiss recommends with regards to technology is to find a gadget guy. A gadget guy is that person who is efficient, productive and tries every gadget on the market so you don’t have to. This is that good friend or colleague of yours who must have one of every new thing on that market. Let him make the mistakes and then show you what works.

It is also important for dentists to get together and exchange their thoughts about what technology is working for them and what is not. This could save everyone a lot of money and help dentists become much more productive and effective healers.