Files this one under the ‘dumb crook’ category.  Dr. Bill Strupp had his Clearwater, FL office robbed after hours so he took to Craigslist with a reward offer for the stolen goods.  Goods that included not only dental equipment, but coveted sports memorabilia like George Steinbrenner autographed bats and balls.  Sure enough the crooks responded to the offer and after a sting operation they were able to recover most of Strupp’s possessions.  I think Dr. Strupp gives an accurate summation of the crooks:

“I’m just flabbergasted that anybody would be that stupid to try to sell something back to somebody after you stole it from them,” Strupp said.

Dentist pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud for using paper clips in root canals

This one’s been circling the web for a couple of days now and even made an appearance on the front page of Yahoo!.

Michael Clair, who had a practice in Fall River, is scheduled to be sentenced next week. He pleaded guilty Friday to defrauding Medicaid of $130,000, assault and battery, illegally prescribing prescription drugs and witness intimidation charges.

It’s bad enough that Clair thought he’d get away with using paper clips, but then to go on and rack up witness intimidation charges is just a bit much.

Bad teeth ranked #1 turnoff in CosmaLite’s Dating Survey

Might be a nice token of info to keep in your pocket the next time a patient mentions putting off dental work.  Just remind them that if they don’t get the work done now, they’ll end cold and alone, surrounded in their hovel of a home by empty pizza pocket boxes, the glowing din of the computer screen their only companion (not counting the feral rats that wander in from time to time) just like Kirstie Alley.  Possibly the results of this survey result in an uptick of cosmetic dentistry bookings.

The “Biggest Turn-off” dating survey revealed attributes that people find most and least appealing in a romantic partner. When asked what they noticed first about potential partners, 62% of respondents said a person’s smile. Body type and eyes were tied at 12.5%, with fashion sense and complexion scoring 6.3%

Face Fracking: Blast of gas that could replace dental drills?

After reading the article, the technology sounds intriguing and definitely has some legs.  However, the first thing that popped into my head was fracking and I couldn’t get it out of my head.  Face Fracking does have a nice little ring to it though — practically markets itself.  Certainly easier to say than the name of the actual device itself: non-thermal argon plasma brush.

The new device — the ‘non-thermal argon plasma brush’ — fires out particles that carry a tiny electrical charge; these cut through the enamel to the middle of the tooth, instantly killing all bacteria they come into contact with.

The charged particles also clear out the inside of the tooth more cleanly, say the developers. As a result, the filling bonds more strongly to the tooth.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2090764/Blast-gas-replace-dentists-drill-make-fillings-stronger.html#ixzz1kW0lTRw0

Well it was bound to happen, and after months of murmurs and whispers Eastman Kodak has finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

How the mighty do fall.  We often forget that prosperity is a fragile proposition.  From individuals, to companies, to iconic brands and even nations, sooner or later the realization that success is not a birthright comes banging down your door.  Success must be nurtured and protected.  A long struggle to the top ends with a long struggle to maintain your position once you’re there.

Eastman Kodak did a poor job of understanding the capricious mistress of success.  Kodak held a 90% market share in the late 70′s.  A seemingly unassailable position from which to fend off competitors.  But the giant of film underestimated their competition.

Kodak’s corporate hubris blinded them to the realities of a dynamic market where paradigm shifts like digital technology were legitimate threats to the health of their empire that could be leveraged by competitors.  In turn, their response to these threats arrived fatally slow.

If only this were the pinnacle of photographic technology...

We all know that digital technology has achieved eminence in the world of dental imaging.  Dental offices are approaching 100% adoption of digital imaging technology, so beating the dead horse of ‘upgrade to digital’ is redundant.  However, there are lessons to learn here.  While the equipment doesn’t make the dentist, it certainly helps or hurts.  Dentistry (like every other industry in the history of the world save politics and prostitution) exists in a dynamic ever-changing environment.

It’s imperative that doctors keep a pulse on the trends of the industry, and certainly not allow your hubris to dismiss potential threats out of hand.  Spend the time to investigate that latest toy or technique.  Stick to your principles while making purchases.  Make sure the new technology can be integrated into your office and that it fits with your techniques and culture.

While it’s too late to do much good for Kodak, you can certainly keep us out of Chapter 11 by taking a look at this Kodak 8000 currently for sale.

Air Force Dentist Plays Vital Role in Remote Afghanistan

Very cool article about a dental advisor on mission in Afghanistan.  I always find it interesting to contrast healthcare and dental treatments from around the world.  I certainly appreciate American dentistry a little bit more.  Especially after this little tidbit:

“The dentists here used to rarely make patients numb prior to treatment,” said Schapira. “This is both painful for the patients and can turn what may be a single appointment in the U.S. into two or three appointments here, simply because the patients can only tolerate so much pain. Since my arrival, they now numb patients prior to any surgical procedure.”

Local Dentist Fills Gap In Care

Good luck to Dr. Thomas Blake of Fort Wayne Indiana on his mission trip to Honduras later this month.  He has amassed a container load of donated dental equipment and supplies to set up a clinic that provides dental care.  If you are planning a mission trip yourself or have equipment to donate, remember that we can help you out with that as well.

Social Media Marketing for a Dental Practice: Facebook

Dental offices seem to be one of those industries that haven’t really blown up with social media marketing.  Like a lot of business to business marketing, the product isn’t normally something you associate with being ‘social.’  Most people don’t think of their dentist unless something went wrong or it’s time for their checkup.  This site looks like a good resource for dentists struggling with adopting a social media marketing strategy: socialdentalnetwork.com

“The amount of ‘Likes’ a dental practice Facebook page has certainly should be used as a metric on which to base their social dental media success, but only as a window to the bigger picture.”

Later in the article they go on to to highlight how Quilted Northern can engage people about toilet paper, then a bunch of moms start ‘getting real about what happens in the bathroom’, things got weird and I left.

No really, here’s the video:

Florida Man Pretended to be Dentist, Pulled Teeth Out in Home

I don’t know who to blame more in cases like this.  If you’re going to someone’s house, don’t trust the level of dentistry you’re likely to receive.  You’re more likely to end up in a bathtub full of ice short 1 kidney than wake up with a vibrant smile.

eDossea Advances Secure File Sharing for Dentists

Some cool technology on the horizon that may change how dental offices interact and transfer patient info.  Ties in to last week’s post about cloud computing and certainly shows an emerging trend.

“With new enforcement of HIPAA affecting how dentists share patient records, eDossea helps practices address the growing need to securely transfer files online. The cloud-based eDossea 1.0 service allows dentists and oral specialists to share X-rays and associated files from a secure network when referring patients.”

Carestream Health Earns 47 U.S. Patents in 2011 for Radiology, Dental and Molecular Products

Carestream Health made some innovative pushes in 2011 which will have an impact on digital imaging in the near future.  Of course the article doesn’t mention any specifics about the patents so given the amorphous details the patents could range from mundane to game changing

Biolase a Stock to Watch?

Not sure how much credence I lend a site called ‘buypennystocks.com’ — but in their opinion Biolase is a stock to watch.  If you happen to be in the market for Biolase products, we do have a few lasers in stock.

Misson of Mercy Dental Clinic of North Carolina Returns in March

At times, it seems the world we live in is unraveling.  So, it’s pleasant to come across a story of folks doing what they can to improve their little slice of this earth.  I’ve highlighted other clinics in the past, but here’s another one out of Rockingham County North Carolina.  The clinic offers patients with income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines the opportunity to get dental exams, extractions, fillings and teeth cleaning.  North Carolina’s Dental Society has provided $4.2 million worth of free dentistry.  Remember, if you want to help out clinics like this by donating equipment, we help facilitate donations.

4 Ways Cloud Computing Will Change Dentistry for the Better

Good article from Dentistry IQ about cloud computing and its effects on dentistry.  Cloud Computing has become one of those techy catch phrases that some folks like to toss around, often out of context.  Really it’s just any files or programs that you store on the web instead of on your computer or local server.  Files and attachments in your e-mail, Gmail and Googledocs are all examples of ‘Cloud Computing’.  As the Cloud becomes a bit more structured expect to find practice management software moving in that direction.

3M ESPE Lava Chairside Oral Scanner Exceeds 100,000 Digital Impressions Worldwide

One of the largest competitors to Sirona’s CEREC, the Lava Chairside scanner has hit a milestone.  Will 3M break Sirona’s iron grip on the CAD/CAM dentistry market?  I doubt it, but a little legitimate competition can’t hurt.  We don’t have any Lava units in stock, but we do have some CERECs and a Cadent iTero.

speaking of Sirona…

Sirona Dental Systems Falls in Weak Trading

It looks like a blip on the radar, but the release goes into some deep details for the financial inclined.

*Will require an actual office. Warehouse exterior not included

*Does not accept Golden Tee Live Points

*Does not operate as a light saber.

*Implant system not intended for breasts.

*Not VHS compatible

*Ensure patient mouth is open before cutting

We’ve hit the ground running in 2012 and have stocked our warehouse with some high quality pre-owned dental equipment.  From CERECs and exam lights to handpieces and instruments.  If you’re looking for used dental equipment we’re sure to have what you’re looking for.  Take a look at the featured items and categories below then visit our store to see our complete selection.

Questions?  Equipment requests?

208-286-1775  |  service@atlasfrontiers.com

CEREC MCXL Red Cam – $44,000	Belmont Belray 096 X-Rays – $1,500
2006 Adec 6300 Cabinet Mount Dental Light – $1,500	Dentsply AEU-17B Endo Motor – $1,200
Exam Lights	CERECs
Lab Equipment	Sterilizers & Cleaners
X-Ray & Imaging	Handpieces
Exam Chairs	Air & Vacuum
Gendex Visualux eHD Size 2 Sensor $2500.00	Dentrix Image Ray X-Ray Sensors $500.00 Starting Bid
Parts or Repair: Gendex 765DC $1,000.00	Dent-X Image-X 70 Intraoral X-Ray - $850.00

service@atlasfrontiers.com.

You can call us too! 208.286.1775.

We accept multiple forms of payment including checks, money orders, wire transfers, credit cards, and Paypal.  Let us know if you have any questions.    

Vatech America, Inc. Installs 1,000th Unit

Continuing down the path to complete digital adoption, Vatech America announced that they have installed their 1,000th unit.  Currently their share in America stands at 10% and 30% in Canada.

“Vatech America has increased growth at an average rate of 33.3% during the past five years as of December 2011. Vatech America’s total 3-D market share has risen from 0% to 10% in the U.S. and from 0% to more than 30% in Canada.”

2011 AACD Economic Report: 2011 State of Cosmetic Dentistry

Back on December 27th I posted my theory about the Cosmetic Dentistry Economic Index.  If my theory holds true (and I wouldn’t be wrong, now would I?) then the 2011 State of Cosmetic Dentistry bodes well for the economy as a whole.  According to a survey of 1,068 respondents things are starting to level off and most are predicting an uptick for the coming year.  Growth in males and younger patients has helped contribute to this recent trend.  If males have decided to spend some of their hard earned cash on cosmetic dentistry, it may signal an increase in their available discretionary spending as a whole.  You can read the press release by clicking here.  For the complete survey results, see here.

 ”Overall, this is positive news,” says AACD President Dr. John Sullivan, “and it appears—after a few years of declining revenues—we are experiencing increased consumer interest in cosmetic dentistry and beautiful smiles.”

Dental Stem Cell Bank?  Possible Next Step In Regenerative Dentistry

A Scottsdale, AZ dental office has begun offering their patients the option of ‘banking’ their dental stem cells.  The cells would be available for future procedures should the technology develop.  This could lead to some interesting shifts in dentistry down the road.  Could we see a world where dentures are no longer an option, but instead patients can just regrow lost teeth?

“The age of regenerative medicine is arriving. Stem cell medicine is becoming a reality, and the option to “bank” dental stem cells now exists. The Scottsdale dentists at Scottsdale Center for dental medicine are now offering this cutting-edge option to their patients for future use in regenerative options.”