Form and function: refined

SurgiCam™from SurgiTel® — As many of you know, I do a lot of video recording of clinical procedures. While lecturing in North Carolina last fall, a dentist came up during the break and told me how he was using a digital video camera to record all of his new-patient exams. The SurgiCam is a loupe-mounted digital video camera offering a DVD-quality video display as well as recording and visualization directly on your personal laptop or desktop computer in the operatory. SurgiCam uses USB plug-and-play technology, is lightweight, and can be used with magnification loupes, on a fixed arm, or on a safety frame. This camera records what I see from my point of view. This system is much quicker than an intraoral camera and I can do all the functions of the camera completely hands-free. It is great for case presentation, patient acceptance, and review. The camera offers 2x and 3x magnification so fine detail can be viewed on the screen. For those who provide presentations or promotional films like I do, SurgiCam easily provides short recordings or still images for PowerPoint. All images are captured in a JPEG format, and all videos are recorded in an AVI format. The software uses capture-compression technology, so the video files don't overwhelm the hard drive. Video controls are at the bottom of the screen to record, play, pause, stop, and take a snapshot. These controls may be accessed by a mouse or foot pedals. If the user wants to change the picture brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, or gamma, these can all be easily manipulated for an optimal image. In the past, if I wanted to record an image, I spent a lot of time and money on a video crew and professional editing, which could take weeks before I saw what I recorded. SurgiCam is fully digital, which requires less hardware, provides better-quality images, and is more affordable. For those concerned about liability, this system can provide the best patient case documentation available. Step by step, the viewer sees from the exact perspective of the user. SurgiTel's Perma-Calibrated Lenses can even optimize the camera to ensure that the focal length and focus match the user's loupes. If you are looking for a method to record a bright, clear, broadcast-TV quality video, the SurgiCam™ provides a unique answer. Contact SurgiTel at www.surgitel.com for more information on this outstanding video camera.

Stylus™ ATC handpiece from Midwest®

Stylus™ ATC (adaptive torque control) from Midwest® — If you've heard me speak or are a regular reader of Pearls, you know I'm very enthusiastic about electric handpieces. Last summer, I saw and used a prototype of a totally new concept in dental handpieces. It is now in production and available for purchase. Midwest engineers have taken the best features of air and electric handpieces and fused them into the Stylus ATC. When I speak about electrics, the first questions involve the weight of the handpiece, the size of the head, and the cost. ATC technology delivers the power and efficiency of an electric without sacrificing the superior access, light weight, and familiar feel of air-driven handpieces. The secret is in a computer chip, which senses the torque you need and delivers it to you. Whether you are cutting through a crown or enamel, you need torque and you get it with ATC. The Stylus maintains high power at a constant speed while operating at a lower sound frequency, so it's quieter. We have all learned to use a technique in which we cut a little and wait a little with an air-driven handpiece. There is no waiting with the Stylus. When you cut that all-metal crown, the chatter noise is missing because the bur is running true. When you need less torque in dentin or want to refine a margin, you get the torque you need. This system gives you the choice of a mini or mid-sized handpiece head that provides the access you're accustomed to with an air handpiece, and it is a particularly good choice for a woman dentist or others with smaller hands. When you activate the rheostat, the system will accelerate to an optimal speed. When you begin to cut, in less than a second, the system will sense the amount of torque to be delivered. The system automatically adjusts the torque to maintain peak power and will limit speed variation when the bur is not under load, which minimizes wear on the bearings. As for the question of cost, Midwest has positioned the Stylus ATC below an electric and above an air handpiece. Order from your dealer or visit www.stylusatc.com for more information.

imagecam®HD from Dentrix and DEXIS — Here, finally, is an intraoral camera that is simple to use while providing high-quality, brilliant images that take you into high definition. Most of you already have HD at home; now, get it at your office and dazzle your patients. In my office, the hygienists have their own imagecamHD and I have one that the assistants move easily from room to room. I expect to always have an image of the patient's mouth on the monitor when I go to check that patient. This system is an important tool for increased patient understanding and treatment plan acceptance, as well as case documentation. To allow for easy portability and affordability, the imagecamHD has a significantly smaller docking station in each operatory, while sharing one or more cameras between operatories. USB 2 connectivity provides excellent, high-speed video while eliminating the need for costly capture cards. The handpiece of this premium device is made of high-quality stainless steel that balances well in the hand. The imagecamHD has magnetic on/off capabilities; the camera powers up automatically when taken out of the cradle, and turns off automatically when returned to the cradle. Because the focus is controlled with the index finger, taking intraoral images truly is a one-handed operation. There are no more foot pedals to think about. To make it ergonomically possible to make focal adjustments with one hand, the imagecamHD uses a slider that is controlled with the index finger, thus enabling the user to have the camera in one hand and an explorer or other dental instrument in the other hand. The slim-line head makes for easy maneuverability in the mouth. Using real-time image-enhancement filters, the camera provides highly detailed images that allow for enhanced diagnostics and education. High-grade German optics and electronics yield true-color images that allow you to detect soft-tissue and tooth changes at their earliest stages and then show them to the patient. One more thing: while I use the imagecamHD frequently, I believe that technology should be team-driven. After all, most patients trust the team more than they do us and ask them more questions. To eliminate cross-contamination, custom-made sheaths are available to be used with this system. In late 2007, Dentrix® transferred its imaging product line to DEXIS, including the imagecamHD. The camera's information is available on the high-tech area of the Dentrix Web site, www.dentrix.com/imagecamhd/. The imagecamHD is offered by DEXIS, LLC, and distributed though Henry Schein® Dental. Call (888) 883-3947 for more information.

E4D Dentist™ from D4D Technologies — Here is a chairside CAD/CAM system designed with the patient and dental professional in mind. With the E4D system, same-day crowns, inlays, onlays, and veneers will increase your productivity, provide a tremendous convenience for your patients, and give you complete control of the final restoration. Intuitive and easy to use, the E4D empowers you to create beautiful restorations that provide the form, fit, and function you demand and your patients deserve. A high-speed laser takes digital scans of the preparation and proximal teeth to create an interactive 3-D image. The system's laser accurately images millions of data points from multiple views with microsecond capture speed to make scanning easy, fast, and accurate without using powder. The ICEverything™ View shows a 3-D photograph of the actual dentition that distinguishes hard and soft tissue, well-defined margins, and recreates the oral environment. The E4D Design Center guides the operator from scanning to milling. The proposed tooth for the preparation is based upon a virtual library of teeth, which was created by leading dental professionals. The initial tooth template is positioned to match central grooves, cusp heights, and marginal ridges of proximal teeth. Multiple design tools are available, including Rubber Tooth™, which lets you push and pull the proposed tooth as if it were made of rubber. The occlusion automatically adjusts proximal and occlusal contacts in accordance with the user-defined parameters. The E4D University will deliver a consistent education program from the people who know the system best. At the 9,200 square foot education facility in Dallas, Texas, you and your team can learn the complete clinical chairside operation, plus see the system being manufactured and meet the software engineers. You'll get to know your E4D Customer Support team who can remotely access and operate your system to provide training and troubleshoot issues. To order, contact your Henry Schein representative or visit www.d4dtech.com for more information.