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Welcome to the new section of the ACP website focused on practice tips and ideas straight from other ACP members and your colleagues. A new tips will be highlighted each week. Have an idea you want to share? Email Mark Heiden, communications & marketing manager at mheiden@prosthodontics.org and your practice tips may be featured in an upcoming Wednesday Wake-up Call.
Simplify tooth preparation with oscillating instruments
Jonathan O. Twomey, D.D.S., M.S.
 Oscillating instruments are most often thought of as a means to remove calculus deposits during scaling and root planning and other supportive periodontal procedures. Some of these systems also have uses in restorative dentistry and offer numerous advantages over rotary handpieces.
The oscillating tips are diamond impregnated on one side and polished on the other creating “half-bur” geometry. This allows for a more conservative interproximal tooth preparation than is possible with rotary instruments and eliminates the possibility of inadvertent damage to adjacent teeth. Preparation can thus be done more efficiently and confidently while at the same time conserving tooth structure. The polished surface is also beneficial when extending a margin subgingivally which can be done without disturbing the soft tissues.
Tips are available in a variety of shapes for preparation of veneers, inlays/onlays, and any direct interproximal restorations. There is also a tip for inserting inlays and onlays, vibrating the restoration to place to reduce the marginal gap. These instruments are easy to use, efficient and a great addition to any operator’s delivery system.
Process payments with your smart phone or tablet
Douglas G. Benting D.D.S., M.S.
Process payments now with ease by simply using your phone. Squareup plugs directly into the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad or Android allowing you to swipe a credit or debit card. Because the company uses no outside agents for processing and focuses on an online marketing campaign for their product, they are able to eliminate many of the additional fees paid by the merchant when processing card through an outside agent. Squareup charges a flat rate of 2.75% or 3.15% plus $0.15 for typed transactions, with no monthly fees and no minimum monthly processing fees. Transaction fees are generally deposited into the merchants business account within a 24 hour period.
Squareup does have a few drawbacks. Squareup relies mainly on providing customer support via email leading to a greater response time and making contact by phone difficult for merchants by not clearly listing their customer support phone number on the website. Another disadvantage of Squareup is their “card-not-present” policy. Any typed in transaction is considered to be a higher risk for fraud; therefore, because Squareup does not verify customers credit history, they place a “hold” on typed in transactions over $1000.00 for any rolling seven day period. A merchant account reviewed in good standing can result in a raise of the $1000.00 “card-not-present” limit.
Another option for a mobile credit card processing device that has the same benefits as Squareup but with dedicated customer service support is Intuit GoPayment. Intuit GoPayment offers merchants the same low rate of 2.75% for swiped cards and a 3.7% keyed transaction rate. It can be used with iPad, iPhone, and Android and works with all major credit cards. Intuit GoPayment also offers a high-volume plan for merchants who process over $1000.00 in credit card sales monthly. The high-volume plan offers a lower transaction rate of 1.7% for swiped cards and 2.7% for keyed in transactions with a monthly fee of $12.95. For more information on Intuit Go Payment go to GoPayment.
Keep your patients entertained while they wait
Douglas G. Benting, D.D.S., M.S.
Looking for ‘entertainment’ options for your patients? As you may already know, streaming movies and TV shows directly to the television is convenient and can be ordered for viewing “on demand”. Streaming provides options for a wide variety of patients without having the monthly cable bill or a stockpile of DVDs – only requires an internet connection.
Roku is a streaming device (www.roku.com) that works through a DSL internet connection. A few of the subscription services available are: Netflix for movies (1080p streaming available), Hulu plus for TV shows, HBO Go for shows, movies, sports and comedy, Pandora for customized radio stations, and games such as Angry Birds. The reviews typically comment on how easy the Roku is to use right out of the box.
Apple TV provides for another option along the same lines. The latest (2012 release) version allows for downloads of movies through the iTunes library which can be stored on the iCloud for use with multiple devices. Netflix is available with the 1080p streaming capability; however Hulu is not available for Apple TV at this time. There are a few limitations with the HBO service at this time related to licensing issues, but the concerns will likely be resolved in the coming months.
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