Wednesday, December 22, 2010

4th Implant Course !

The participants of our 4th implant course ! We had a great time learning and sharing.
(Two participants are missing from the photograph.)
Posted by Picasa

Body Browser - Google Labs

A very interesting development from Google Labs. This has great potential as a learning tool.

Body Browser - Google Labs

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Man Officially Cured of HIV [Hiv]

Man Officially Cured of HIV [Hiv]: "
For the first time, a man has been declared officially cured of HIV. The remedy may nearly have killed him, but it opens a door—just a crack—to hope that we may someday kill off the scourge for good. More »






"

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The IKEA pencil: a surprising find in the NHS -- Eley and Watt-Smith 341 -- bmj.com

The IKEA pencil: a surprising find in the NHS -- Eley and Watt-Smith 341 -- bmj.com

A link to the original article from the BMJ that inspired the news report. Has a fascinating bibliography. I didn't know IKEA pencils had their own Facebook and Flickr pages !

Ikea pencils: An essential tool for surgery?

Interesting Post. This has been a well kept secret in the OMFS community. We've been teaching our participants to mark implant ostetomies using this technique. A common misconception is that "lead" pencils really contain lead which is toxic. The "lead" in "lead pencils" is graphite (a form of carbon) which is perfectly safe.
Ikea pencils: An essential tool for surgery?

Monday, December 13, 2010

Everyone and no one



Another great post from Seth Godin !

Everyone and no one: "

Two things are always not true:


Everyone likes this.


No one likes this.


Sorry.


If you try to please everyone, the few you don't delight will either ruin your day or ruin your sense of what sort of product you should make.


And if you believe the critic who insists that no one is going to like what you made, you will walk away from a useful niche.


One other thing: Sometimes it's easy to confuse, 'the small cadre of people I want to impress because my ego demands that this 'in' group is important,' with 'everyone.' They're not the same.



"

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Of to God's Own Country for a week

Am of the Manjeri near Kozhikode for the Kerala State Annual IDA conference. I am doing a one day precon on the Uniti System on the 26th and a talk on "Treatment Planning The Edentulous Implant Patient" on the 27th morning and then on for a break in the backwaters before returning to work on the 1st.
Time to board. Bye!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Reasons to work

From Seth Godin again



Reasons to work: "

  1. For the money

  2. To be challenged

  3. For the pleasure/calling of doing the work

  4. For the impact it makes on the world

  5. For the reputation you build in the community

  6. To solve interesting problems

  7. To be part of a group and to experience the mission

  8. To be appreciated


Why do we always focus on the first? Why do we advertise jobs or promotions as being generic on items 2 through 8 and differentiated only by #1?


In fact, unless you're a drug kingpin or a Wall Street trader, my guess is that the other factors are at work every time you think about your work. (PS Happy Birthday Corey.)



"

Where do ideas come from?

From on of my favourite bloggers Seth Godin

Where do ideas come from?: "

  1. Ideas don't come from watching television

  2. Ideas sometimes come from listening to a lecture

  3. Ideas often come while reading a book

  4. Good ideas come from bad ideas, but only if there are enough of them

  5. Ideas hate conference rooms, particularly conference rooms where there is a history of criticism, personal attacks or boredom

  6. Ideas occur when dissimilar universes collide

  7. Ideas often strive to meet expectations. If people expect them to appear, they do

  8. Ideas fear experts, but they adore beginner's mind. A little awareness is a good thing

  9. Ideas come in spurts, until you get frightened. Willie Nelson wrote three of his biggest hits in one week

  10. Ideas come from trouble

  11. Ideas come from our ego, and they do their best when they're generous and selfless

  12. Ideas come from nature

  13. Sometimes ideas come from fear (usually in movies) but often they come from confidence

  14. Useful ideas come from being awake, alert enough to actually notice

  15. Though sometimes ideas sneak in when we're asleep and too numb to be afraid

  16. Ideas come out of the corner of the eye, or in the shower, when we're not trying

  17. Mediocre ideas enjoy copying what happens to be working right this minute

  18. Bigger ideas leapfrog the mediocre ones

  19. Ideas don't need a passport, and often cross borders (of all kinds) with impunity

  20. An idea must come from somewhere, because if it merely stays where it is and doesn't join us here, it's hidden. And hidden ideas don't ship, have no influence, no intersection with the market. They die, alone.



"

Technology Can Differentiate

From Larry Emmott's blog
Technology Can Differentiate: "

The American Express article linked below advises professionals and other small business owners to use technology to differentiate yourself from your colleagues. This advice certainly holds true for dentists. It is no longer good enough to be friendly, on time and take insurance. Everybody does that


It would be nice if patients judged us by the quality of the dentistry we deliver. But of course patients have no way to judge the marginal integrity of a restoration or the cleanliness of a root surface. So they judge us on easily observed and possibly superficial factors


Let’s try a thought experiment. You are a well educated middle class adult American. You are looking for a dentist. You know nothing about dentistry except what you see on television or have experienced in the past. You have two dental offices to choose from A and B. Both are convenient and have been recommended by a friend.


Office A sends you an e-mail welcome and allows you to fill out forms online before your appointment.


Office B calls and leaves a reminder message and hands you a clip board when you arrive for your appointment.


Office A takes digital photos and x-rays which the dentist shows you that instant on a large monitor to help you understand your dental condition.


Office B does not take photos and takes film x-rays which the doctor looks at when they show up at the end of the appointment.


Office A prepares a crown and delivers it that same day as you wait.


Office B prepares a crown, takes an impression, places a temporary and has you return in a few weeks to have the crown delivered.


Based on these experiences which office would you believe to be “the best”.


It is possible that Dr. B is a better dentist than Dr. A. It is possible but the patient will never figure it out.


Here is the kicker. Most likely Dr. A is in fact a better dentist. Dentists who take the time to keep up with the latest technology and up to date procedures are almost by definition better dentists.


A final thought. Technology will help differentiate you from the crowd. However it will have no effect if the patients do not see it. So do not be hesitant to tell people about your high tech systems. Of course, don’t do it in a bragging or pushy salesman like manner. No one likes that. However you can tell patients in an enthusiastic and professional manner about how the digital x-rays use less radiation or how the photos help you diagnose more effectively.


If you are looking for ways to differentiate yourself from the competition, consider how you can use technology to stand out. Keep in mind that lawyers, accountants, designers, programmers, marketing gurus and many other professions (like dentists ed.) are NOT unique. They are all relatively basic and it’s hard to tell one company from the next. Your prospective and current customers probably don’t know how YOU are different than your competition.


via 4 Ways Technology Can Create Differentiation in Your Business : Technology :: American Express OPEN Forum.

"

Monday, November 22, 2010

Wacom Interactive Pen Displays Demonstrate Increased EMR Efficiency

From John flucke's Blog
Wacom Interactive Pen Displays Demonstrate Increased EMR Efficiency: "

Wacom.jpg
For graphic artists & die hard computer geeks, Wacom has been a company we've know & loved for a long time. The ability to draw on the screen has been a huge plus for many applications. Imagine my joy in finding out that the company is now working on devices to use for 3D and other types of medical imaging. With my Gendex GXCB-500 dental cone beam unit, I can see structures & situations better than ever before. Add to that the concept of virtual treatment planning, and you can easily see why I'm excited about Wacom being in the imaging part of my profession.
Here is the press release with all the details:

ntuitive Pen-on-screen Workflow Improves Patient-staff Interaction and Enhances Digital Information Sharing, Organization and Accuracy; Demonstrations Available at Booth 7704

An increasing number of medical facilities are looking to adopt paperless workflows to create more efficient information management processes, and many are turning to Wacom to further their ability to interact with data more effectively. Offering a direct and fully digital pen-on-screen workflow, Wacom interactive pen displays help make the capture of electronic medical records (EMR) simple and fast for both healthcare professionals and patients. At RSNA 2010, being held Nov. 28 - Dec. 3 at Chicago's McCormick Place, Wacom will showcase interactive pen capabilities in booth #7704 (North Building-Hall B).

'Designed to accommodate healthcare professionals requiring advanced digital documentation capabilities, Wacom offers a highly intuitive, quick and natural way for patients to review and sign forms,' says Alan Orth, business development manager, Healthcare for Wacom Technology. 'In turn, medical facilities greatly improve staff-patient relations with the pen displays' ease of use and create a streamlined paperless, cost-effective workflow.'

Delivering a completely digital solution to administrative tasks from reviewing patient admission documents to signing legally binding insurance and consent forms, a Wacom interactive pen display is an innovative multi-tasking device. It opens the door to improved efficiency within the medical community.

'The Wacom pen display is a critical tool in helping to reduce processing time, paper usage and costs, as well as greatly improving patient recordkeeping and accessibility,' confirms Cathy Fuhrman, manager of Sharp HealthCare's Document Imaging Group. 'In addition, staff and patients enjoy the ease-of-use, freedom and control the pen delivers to the overall experience.'

For additional information about Wacom interactive pen display technology, Wacom's industry partners and events at RSNA, please visit http://www.wacom.com/industries/medical.php.

About Wacom Founded in 1983, Wacom's vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world's leading manufacturer of digital human interface solutions. Wacom revolutionized the nature of digital input when it introduced its family of interactive pen displays, allowing users to work with a pressure-sensitive pen directly on screen. Today, thousands of medical professionals count on Wacom interactive pen displays to deliver superior control and productivity to their workflow. For more information, visit www.wacom.com.

"

Dental Council - CDE Norms

CIRCULAR - Powered by Google Docs

The latest CDE norms from the Dental Council. FYI.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Propoxyphene: Withdrawal-Risk of Cardiac Toxicity

Propoxyphene: Withdrawal-Risk of Cardiac Toxicity: "

Here is an announcement that came from the Institute of Medical Emergency Preparedness. The group does a great job of monitoring and notifying of device problems/recalls as well as medicine recalls like this one. For more info about them, visit their website.

Propoxyphene: Withdrawal - Risk of Cardiac Toxicity
Sold as Darvon, Darvocet, and generics

ISSUE: FDA notified healthcare professionals that Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals has agreed to withdraw propoxyphene, an opioid pain reliever used to treat mild to moderate pain, from the U.S. market at the request of the FDA, due to new data showing that the drug can cause serious toxicity to the heart, even when used at therapeutic doses. FDA concluded that the safety risks of propoxyphene outweigh its benefits for pain relief at recommended doses. FDA requested that the generic manufacturers of propoxyphene-containing products remove their products as well.

BACKGROUND: FDA’s recommendation is based on all available data including data from a new study that evaluated the effects that increasing doses of propoxyphene have on the heart (see Data Summary in Drug Safety Communication). The results of the new study showed that when propoxyphene was taken at therapeutic doses, there were significant changes to the electrical activity of the heart: prolonged PR interval, widened QRS complex and prolonged QT interval. These changes can increase the risk for serious abnormal heart rhythms.

RECOMMENDATION: FDA recommends that healthcare professionals stop prescribing and dispensing propoxyphene-containing products to patients, contact patients currently taking propoxyphene-containing products and ask them to discontinue the drug, inform patients of the risks associated with propoxyphene, and discuss alternative pain management strategies. Patients were advised to dispose of unused propoxyphene in household trash by following the recommendations outlined in the Federal Drug Disposal Guidelines.

"

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Bye for Now !

Dear Friends,
Until further notice there will no further posts on Implant Sutra. Thank You.
Mathai

Google Launches Music Service...in India?

Google Launches Music Service...in India?: "


For months we've been hearing rumors about Google Music, the company's on-demand or subscription or cloud-based music service. One industry insider recently called it the 'worst kept secret' in the business--yet very few details have leaked about the service.


Today, however, Google quietly launched a new Google Labs feature in India called Indic Music, a search-and-play service that might gives us some clues into how Google Music could look.


Indic Music enables users to search through an expansive library of Hindi artists on Google, view entire albums, and play songs for free in ad-supported pop-up music player. It doesn't have auto-play like Pandora or Rhapsody--music can only be played on a per-track basis.

The project is part of a partnership between Google and Indian music sites Saavn and In.com, as well as India's largest record label, Saregama. The three companies provide the service with hundreds of thousands of tracks. Google acts as a centralized database for the music.


Indic Music is a far cry from the promising rumors of Google's 'locker,' a cloud-based service that would give subscribers access to unlimited streaming tracks for a monthly fee. Instead, the Labs project is more akin to YouTube: Users can find and listen to pretty much any song online, but it's more a one-off service than a replacement to, say, iTunes.


But there is good news here: Google has finally found some success working with third-party streaming sites and record labels--albeit in India. A similar marriage has failed to develop in the U.S. Last fall, Google attempted to build a similar service on top of MySpace and LaLa that did not pan out--but let's hope this new feature serves as some indication that such a wedding is possible.



"

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Having Trouble With Installing Blue Sky Plan? Haven't Received Your License? Here's What to do !






head.jpg

Thank you for installing our newest version of Blue Sky Plan!

You have already been sent your  license via email. 

If you did not receive it or have any questions, please email 

plan@blueskybio.com or call me directly at 312-423-6529.


I hope you find the software intuitive and easy to use.

·         Watch tutorial videos. 

·         Schedule a personal online training session (contact information below).

·         Register for  live training webinars (1CE, no charge).

·         Follow us on FaceBook and Twitter to receive the latest updates.

 

Best Regards,

Michael Saltzman

Director of Blue Sky Plan

312-423-6529 (phone)
312-268-6506 (fax)

footer3systems_correctsize_jpg.JPG

*prices of implants may vary outside of the United States. Please see www.blueskybio.com for detailed pricing











--
Dr.C.P.Mathai MDS
Oral Surgery, Dental Implants, Oral Reconstruction.
Restoring Smiles! Building Confidence!
http://www.implantsutra.com

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The Stropko Irrigator


A very useful tool not just for implant dentistry but for all kinds of general dentistry and endodontic procedures is the Stropko Irrigator. I cannot imagine practicing without it. Developed by endodontist Dr.John Stropko it is available for purchase from his website www.stropko.com. Also available from other major dealers such as DCI, Henry Schein, Sybron-Kerr,Vista Dental and probably others. I am not aware that it is sold in India. The 3way needs modification to reduce the inlet pressure to accomodate the Irrigator and it is best to have a separate dedicated 3way for the Irrigator.
The images alongside are self explanatory. Among the uses in implant Dentistry are
  • Clean and flush extraction sockets just prior to implant placement
  • Irrigation of the surgical site
  • Flush debris out of the internal screw channel of the implant.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Sorry!

I have been rather lax in posting in the past months. A wide variety of issues personal and practice related diverted my attention. Hopefully I should be able to post regularly again from now on. Thanks for all those that have been responding to this blog. It would be nice to see even more feedback - good or bad- and hopefully not all anonymous !



Blue Sky Plan Version 2
Treatment Planning software for Computer Guided Surgery
Faster. Easier to use. More features.
A powerful clinical tool at a wonderful price. Free!
No purchase requirements, upgrade or annual fees.
*purchase requirements may exist in some countries


This message was sent from Blue Sky Bio to cpmathai@gmail.com. It was sent from: Michael Saltzman, 888 E Belvidere Road, Glayslake, IL 60030. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.

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--
Dr.C.P.Mathai MDS
Oral Surgery, Dental Implants, Oral Reconstruction.
Restoring Smiles! Building Confidence!
http://www.implantsutra.com

JIACD New Issue








JIACD

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The Journal of Implant and Advanced Clinical Dentistry

September 2010
Volume 2, No. 7


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  • 15 Case of the Month: Dental Erosion Caused by Aspirin Swishing and GERD: A Clinical Report on Full Mouth Rehabilitation Reshma Jacob Thomas, Donald M Belles
  • 27 Staged Sinus Floor Elevation Using the Crestal Core Elevation (CCE) Procedure: A Review of the Technique
    Michael Toffler
  • 45 Orthodontic Extrusion, Immediate Tooth Replacement, and Removal of GingivalDiscolorization: A Case Study
    Presiyan St. Krastev, Svetoslava Stefanova, Sascha A. Jovanovic
  • 55 The Combined Use of Allograft and a Polylactic Acid Barrier for GTR and GBR Efforts: 2 Case Reports
    Paul S. Rosen
  • 65 Atraumatic Implant Explantation, is it Possible? Description of a Novel Technique and a Case Series Study
    Eduardo Anitua, Gorka Orive
  • 75 The Dilemma of Extract or Mantain in the Piero-Ortho Scenario. A Case Report
    Manuel de la Rosa, Marcela de la Rosa
  • 87 Orthodontic-Surgical Removal of Impacted 3rd Molars with Apices in Close Proximity to the Mandibular Canal:
    Two Case Reports
    Dennis Flanagan








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--
Dr.C.P.Mathai MDS
Oral Surgery, Dental Implants, Oral Reconstruction.
Restoring Smiles! Building Confidence!
http://www.implantsutra.com