Computerized Dental & Digital Radiography Lab is the incorporation of technology into very specialized fields of Dental Assisting & Dental Hygiene. One of the primary problems with this project is that the Dental Lab is stuffed with 12 dental chairs in one open lab the size of a small classroom, about 20 X 24. In this small space, each dental chair must have room to fully recline; room for the dental student to work; room for an instructor or Dentist to observe & teach; & room for a cabinet for tools/supplies/paperwork. There are lines on the floor for electricity & air. There was not room for a computer, network cable or more power. So the challenge was to be innovative to reduce clutter, while also adding needed technology & more student learning opportunities.
Our solution was to design a command post that attached to the dental cabinet which supported a LCD monitor/keyboard/mouse & allowed the computer to be hidden. Wireless technology removed the need for network cabling, while neatly attaching to the command post. A large power strip consolidated all electrical needs onto 1 location. Inter-Oral cameras were neatly stored in the cabinet until needed & can be viewed through the computer onto the LCD monitor by the patient.
Dentrix software allows student Dental Hygienists to record patient information, store pictures from the Inter-Oral cameras or the Digital Radiography. Follow-up appointments can be scheduled while the patient is still in the dental chair.
Digital Radiography is an expensive alternative to replace x-ray film & chemical film development. It is also much quicker for a student to spot a mistake & easily take another digital picture. The Digital Radiography pictures can then be stored on the patients files or sent electronically to a Dentist at another location for consulting. This is the direction of dentistry in the future, with Hygienists doing more, while a regional Dentist consults & provides instructions to the Hygienist from afar.
Another problem was to make sure the patient information was kept private. This was accomplished by using a Secure Wireless connection & configuration adjustments on switches & access points.
This is a collaborative project between Dental Hygiene at MSU, Dental Assisting at South Central College, Information Technology Services - Networking Services, Academic Computer Center, MSU Students. Funding was provided from: student technology fee, Academic Affairs, Dental Hygiene Dept & Dental Assisting Dept. Schick, Dentrix provided an educational discounts on their products.
