Dentists are notorious gadget lovers. And computer hardware is overflowing with gadgets. Combined—gadget lovers and hardware—obviously are a match made in heaven. However, the right hardware is not just fun, it’s essential for developing a paperless office. Here, we present 13 hardware items for the dental office (see list above). But before we get to the heavenly hardware gadgets, let’s check out the basics. The essentials of computer hardware in the dental office haven’t changed much. Computers just continue to get faster and more powerful. Most dental offices will need three basic types of computers to do three different jobs—a server, a business workstation, and a clinical workstation. Here’s a look at each type. 01 Server (main computer) The server is the main computer. It stores all data and distributes it to other workstations. This machine should have a powerful processor, lots of memory, and big RAID arrayed dual hard drives for storage (see No. 8—RAID storage disks, page 84). The main computer does not need any sound or multimedia capabilities. Cost: $3,000 to $3,500 (for most dental offices).
02 Business workstations (front desk)
Business workstations are the front-desk stations. They are the office’s least powerful machines. They have modest processing requirements and need virtually no hard-drive storage. They do not need sound or multimedia. Cost: $1,000 or less.
03 Clinical workstations (chairside) Clinical workstations are your chairside computers. They need to be much more powerful than the business machines. Chairside computers are used for patient education, image management, digital radiography, cosmetic imaging, entertainment, intraoral camera capture, and much more.
These machines need full multimedia capability, including sound, CD or DVD, powerful processors, USB 2.0 (for faster speeds), and lots of memory. The machines don’t need any hard-drive storage, as all data will be stored on the server. Cost: $1,800 to $2,000.
04 Consultation workstation
Some offices may need a fourth type of computer—a consultation workstation. This computer, which is used in a consultation room for case presentations, is similar to a clinical workstation. It has full multimedia capacity, but it’s not used to capture images, radiographs, and other data.
05 Dual-core processor
Among the features you’ll find in many new computers is a dual-core processor. Do you need this new technology? A dual-core processor is exactly what it sounds like—two processor cores on one base or chip. The dual core allows a computer to do more, and do it faster, especially when it comes to multiple tasks. For example, dual-core processors will improve performance in computers doing heavy imaging processing, such as 3-D cone-beam rendering, which takes an intense amount of processing power. Dual core may also improve server function. There also may be a small benefit to using dual-core processors in treatment rooms where computers are used for multiple tasks, including multimedia. However, there’s no reason to invest in dual-core processors for the front desk.
06 Slim towers
If you have a lot of room (like under the front desk), then a standard mini-tower works well. Sometimes, though, when space is limited (as in treatment rooms), the temptation is to try a laptop. This seems like an elegant solution, but laptops can be expensive and limiting for some operatory functions, like imaging and networking. A better option is to consider new, slimmer computer towers, which are almost half the width of conventional mini-towers (see chart below).
07 Windows Vista software
Another new feature for new business computers, as well as for software upgrades, is Windows Vista software from Microsoft (www.microsoft.com). Vista has received indifferent reviews from the technology press. It has a number of compatibility issues. Several major dental programs do not yet run effectively on Vista. All in all, it’s probably good advice to wait on upgrading to Vista.
08 RAID storage disks
A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is a method used to protect data on a server by copying it to multiple hard drives. A RAID array on your office server is a good idea. RAID comes in a number of different versions, from 0 to 7, and several other non-standard flavors. For the dental office, though, only two versions make sense: RAID 1 or RAID 5. For most dental offices, a simple and inexpensive RAID 1 is all you need. Only a large multi-office group needs to consider RAID 5. Nevertheless, hardware vendors often try to sell RAID 5 to dentists. Although RAID 5 is a great system with lots of security, it’s just much more system than the dental office needs, and it costs a lot more money. It’s like using a semi-truck to haul a six-pack.
09 Dental R.A.T (perio charting device) Some of the most interesting and useful hardware gadgets are new devices to input information. Of course, the most common input device is a mouse. But what would you call a big mouse that sits on the floor? A rat, of course. The Dental R.A.T. (Remote Access Terminal) perio charting foot control from Beckmer Products (www.dentalrat.com) is a periodontal charting input device developed by a hygienist. As she was doing perio exams, she was frustrated with having to break away from her probing and compromise asepsis so she could enter pockets and other data. So she developed a hands-free, foot-controlled input device. The multiuse device allows users to enter data using a tap of the foot instead of latex-covered fingers. The latest R.A.T. (Version 2.0., shown above) has a sleek new design and a wireless connection.
10 Florida Probe (perio charting device) Another perio input device is the Florida Probe. This is a specialized entry and charting package from the Florida Probe Corp. (www.floridaprobe.com) that allows users to automatically enter probing depths from the probe handpiece. This electronic probing and charting system is more accurate than hand probing and, again, eliminates the need to break away from the patient to enter data by hand.
11 Electronic signature pad Another input gadget that is useful in dentistry is an electronic signature pad. These pads, which start at less than $200, can be used to add a signature to electronic forms and records. For a look at various types of electronic signature capture devices, go to MedicTalk Software (www.medictalk.com) and Interlink Electronics (www.interlinkelectronics.com). Also, check out the MedicTalk DentForms system from The Dental Record (www.dentalrecord.com/dentforms). Using this system, which includes an electronic signature device, a patient can fill out a medical/dental history on the computer and then sign it with an electronic pen.
12 Scanners A scanner is a hardware input device that transforms hard copy into digital electronic forms. To scan paper, any old scanner will do. To scan an x-ray, a scanner must have a transparency adaptor. Many scanners have a small transparency adaptor designed to scan a single 35mm slide. This is OK for a single x-ray, but it’s useless for a panoramic or full-mouth series. A few scanners have large transparency adaptors, like the Epson Perfection 4990 Photo scanner. It has an 8-inch by 10-inch adaptor and costs about $300 (www.epson.com). Be warned: Some vendors will try to sell you a special x-ray scanner for well over $1,000.
13 Multiple monitors  Inputting information is important, but the second half of computer technology is getting data back so we can use it. Mainly, this means looking at it on a computer monitor. Monitors follow the law of donuts: If one is good, two is better, and three is even better. Any computer purchased in the last six or seven years can easily support two monitors. Multiple monitors reek of excessive geekiness, yet having them is probably the most cost-effective way to leverage your technology and improve productivity. Here are examples of how I use multiple monitors: Front desk monitors. My front-desk administrator, Jackie Hayter (shown above), has a two-monitor set up. She can have a patient chart on one screen and a daily schedule on the other. She can then view patient treatment needs and scan for open appointment time without switching from window to window. Her second monitor acts as a desktop extension. She can click and drag a window from one monitor to the other, but there’s only one active window, just like a single monitor. Treatment room monitors. In this room, we have a patient monitor in front of the chair. It displays patient photos or x-rays, and it can be used for patient education. Behind the chair, we have a practice monitor displaying the daily schedule and patient charts. Personal office monitors. In my personal office, I have four monitors (see photo, page 82). The patient chart is on one, photos on another, x-rays on a third, and the daily schedule on the fourth. I also can bring up the Internet, check e-mail, and do all of the other tasks we do with the computer quickly and efficiently. And, besides, it looks really cool. New hardware gadgets are continuing to evolve. These devices will make the transition to a truly paperless office easier and more efficient. The future is coming and it will be amazing!  Dr. Larry Emmott, an authority on dental technology, is a practicing general dentist in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Emmott’s next hands-on technology seminar, “How to plan, develop, and manage the high-tech dental practice,” is Nov. 2-3, in Phoenix. Doctors will practice taking digital photos, smile imaging, x-ray enhancement, and computer presentations. For more information, call Dr. Emmott at 602-324-1900 or visit his Web site: www.drlarryemmott.com. | 
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