dentist chair

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alyosha
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Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 11:46 am

dentist chair

Post by alyosha » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:31 am

Hello, my wife has been a dentist for almost 5yrs, and her lower back is killing her,..worse by the month. I can tell her active seating arrangement is the main culprit,..the angles are all wrong when she is looking into the pt's mouth. She's using a stool, and doesn't like loops (because they slip down her nose, etc) Is there a chair expert out there who can point me towards a Specific chair (make, model, where to buy it) that would help? I can go online and a hundred chairs are available, each touting it's miracle cure, but which one? I'd rather hear it from a dentist than a salesperson.
She's 5ft 6inches, 115lbs, already does the "core" exercises every morn. I know this is a software forum,..but help on this will be greatly appreciated! thanks, Norm

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Rickliftig
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Location: West Hartford, CT
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Re: dentist chair

Post by Rickliftig » Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:15 am

Norm - I think you will get more feedback and a wider range of opinions on the "dentaltown" website (www.dentaltown.com). This site is fairly specific to Open Dental Software.
Another Happy Open Dental User!

Rick Liftig, DMD FAGD
University of CT 1979
West Hartford, CT 06110
srick@snet.net

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drtech
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Re: dentist chair

Post by drtech » Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:18 pm

get loops,orascoptic fixed 3.5x wide vision w/ oakley frames...shouldn't slide w/ those frames and will be just as important as the chair for posture. The best normal chair is the new adec chair...but there are lots of specialized chairs that are supposed to be better, we have a few, but I still like the adec better.
David Fuchs
Dentist - Springfield, MO
Smile Dental http://www.887-smile.com

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Hersheydmd
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Re: dentist chair

Post by Hersheydmd » Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:06 pm

Norm,
Consider getting her a free standing or wall or ceiling mounted microscope. I also couldn't stand wearing glasses & loops for various reasons. Using the microscope has saved my back and improved my dentistry markedly. Yes, it is very expensive, but it is well worth it in terms of her health and well being. Too many dentists suffer from back and neck pain. I did for years, as did my father. My microscope is probably one of the best investments I have made. It improved my posture and enabled me to practive longer and better.
Mine is a Global Surgical. Contact person: Mike Mack 914-939-2656. Call him, he is one of the nicest guys you will ever deal with. And best of luck.
Robert M Hersh DMD, FAGD
Univ. of Penn 1982
Brooklyn, NY 11234
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robert-M ... 1471599429

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drtech
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Location: Springfield, MO
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Re: dentist chair

Post by drtech » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:28 am

yes, if you want make the Microscope investment...that is the best you can do for her back...

Hersheydmd: how do you manage/ does it work well to move it between rooms? Is it mobile and or fixed in one room?
David Fuchs
Dentist - Springfield, MO
Smile Dental http://www.887-smile.com

Jay
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Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:01 am

Re: dentist chair

Post by Jay » Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:11 am

@hersheydmd: Your suggestion is very interesting. Out of curiosity what is the ballpark figure we are talking about here?

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Jorgebon
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Re: dentist chair

Post by Jorgebon » Wed Feb 22, 2012 6:42 pm

I suffered from back problems for many years. The solution in my case was getting operator stools with armrests.
Jorge Bonilla, DMD
Jorge Bonilla DMD
Open Dental user since May 2005

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Hersheydmd
Posts: 700
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Re: dentist chair

Post by Hersheydmd » Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:33 pm

This has nothing to do with OpenDental, but I am happy to share my experience with OD colleagues.
I only have one in my main op, and do all my restorative, prosthetics, and surgery in that room. I don't hop from room to room, except to do a hygiene exam, or see a quick emergency. When I renovate my office I will install a second scope.

Cost: I'm not sure. Guessing 15-25k depending on what features you want. I am sure it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and from model to model.
I bought mine about 8 yrs ago, second hand from an endodontist who was consolidating two offices and closing one. Gave him $5K and paid $2K to have it moved and mounted on the ceiling in my operatory. Added an X-Mount Adapter; Cam Ring Coupler; 50/50 Beamsplitter for another $3K, bringing my initial investment up to $10K. Mounted a Sony camcorder, so I have a continuous video feed to my computer screen. I routinely capture still images of almost everything I do, in Dexis, and occasionally capture video in Windows Movie Maker.
There are no moving parts, so there is nothing to wear out except for the bulb and the protective lens covers. I spent about $2K last year upgrading my xenon light source to an LED light source (Global). You've never seen anything this bright. It is so bright it overpowers the light from my Isolite (can't tell if it is on or off). It should last many years, instead of having to replace it 2-3 times a year.

I will tell you that I was very apprehensive when I had it installed in my office. I wondered if I just bought a pink elephant that was going to hang over me (literally) and never be used. The first week I was seeing double images and thought I would never get used to it. The second week I started to accommodate, my posture improved and I realized it was one of the best investments I ever made. The bulb in my overhead light burnt out 2 yrs ago and I haven't replaced it. I use the scope for everything, even a small occlusal resin.
It is amazing what you can see with the scope. You see craze lines, open margings, open contacts, subgingival calculus, undercuts, the pink of the pulp before exposing it, etc. etc. Yesterday a periodontist sent me a patient with a fractured screw inside a Straumann implant that was somehow locked in and couldn't be rotated out. I cut straight through the center of the screw with a 1/4 round bur, then shaped the hole into an oval shape, all without nicking the side walls or thread of the implant. Then I was able to take the tiniest flat screwdriver from an eyeglass repair kit, put it into the slot I created, and unscrew the broken end.
Robert M Hersh DMD, FAGD
Univ. of Penn 1982
Brooklyn, NY 11234
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Robert-M ... 1471599429

alyosha
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Joined: Mon May 12, 2008 11:46 am

Re: dentist chair

Post by alyosha » Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:38 pm

Thanks everyone for the help. After reading Hersheydmd's post, I called Global Surgical: the scope they recommend (6 step) for general dentistry is 18K, then about 2K more for adapters for video-out to monitor and camera. It can be set up to swing between two adjacent operatories, but doesn't sound easy. Mike Mack wasn't available, but they're going to have their Las Vegas guy get with us. I am thinking we're going be having another car-payment pretty soon. Thanks OD forum! Norm

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