iCat Vision

iMagDent of Acadiana Update:

The center has now been open for two weeks and the "initial labor pains" have started to subside. Over 15 scans have been done so for and the definition, clarity, and sheer amount of information that comes from these scans is pretty amazing to say the least. In addition, once your patient has had their scan done, a CD with the scan data along with the iCat Viewing software embedded will be either delivered or mailed to you.

To bring up the tutorial which is now on Google Video, all you have to do is to make sure that your speakers are turned on and double-click on this link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=895586027950995746

Below are some imaages that come from some of the scans that have been taken recently:

Lastly, we invite you and your staff to come by to visit the center if you haven't been there already at 1225 South College Road and we will have a users group meeting soon to go over any questions and answers that any of you may have including going through a 3-D reconstruction reformatting for those of you that have an interest in this.

Thanks,

Jerry

ImagDent of Acadiana Opening on Monday August 6th

On Monday, August 6th, ImagDent of Acadiana will be officially open to begin Cone Beam scanning. Information packets will be sent out to offices throughout Acadiana for referrals
including Rx Pads, Patient Brochures, and a Fee Schedule for the various services available patients that are referred for scanning.

In the meantime, this information can be obtained immediately by going to http://www.jeromesmithdds.com/ImagDent/ImagDent.Acadiana.pdf

For a Power Point Presentation for you and/or your staff to view espousing the many uses, features and advantages of the iCat cone beam scanner, please go to http://www.imagingsciences.com/ppt/i-CAT_Sales_Presentation.ppt

For a promotional video from Imagining Sciences, go to http://www.imagingsciences.com/know_video.htm

The following paragraph contains several links to sites for additional information.

Conebeam.com is a website that is the first and only complete source of information about the vastly growing Cone Beam CT in facial imaging. The website objective is to be the trusted source of information about CBCT. The website offers general information about Cone Beam usage, the benefits of Cone Beam over other X-Ray systems, case studies, as well as brief descriptions of Cone Beam manufacturers, including Imaging Sciences’ i-CAT. Click on http://www.conebeam.com/ for further information.

For a comprehensive listing of C.E. Courses related to Conebeam scanning, go to http://www.imagingsciences.com/know_education.htm.

For more information on the advantages of Cone Beam over Traditional CT scans, you can go
to http://www.osseonews.com/cone-beam-vs-traditional-ct-scans/.

For more information on Simplant, the software program that we will be using for planning dental implant cases, you can go to http://www.osseonews.com/interview-advantages-of-the-simplant-platform/.

For additional information on Simplant, you can go to http://www.materialise.com/materialise/view/en/131410-SimPlant+software.html

For additional information on the use of cone beam scanning for Orthodontics, you can go
to http://jorthod.maneyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/32/4/282
Go to http://www.imagdent.com/doctors/case.php for info about an Ortho Lecture Series taking place in Texas.

Jerry

P.S. We do expect a few "bumps in the road" as we get up and running and appreciate your patience. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please email me directly at
jerome@jeromesmithdds.com or post your comments in the COMMENTS section of this blog.

IMageDent Update

Here's the latest update on the progression of our "Imaging Project"
1. Bret Royal from Imagdent of Texas came down this past Monday to assess our site as well as to help us get our project into full swing. He will make arrangments for his IT crew to put together the necessary computer hardware/software components for installation after space renovations have been completed.
2. Final paperwork is being drawn up by attorney, Jody Zahnbracher, for ImagDent of Acadiana.
3. Financing is being arranged with Home Bank of Acadiana with the following:
30% down payment on loan - $54,075.00
7.5% interest rate (approx 1.25% under prime) --non-recourse
4. A contractor, painter, carpet installer, etc. have been set into motion to make the necessary leasehold improvments before we install the iCat Scanner.
5. A 2 year guaranteed lease for $675/ mo for those two years and then go up to $750 for next three years if we renew lease has been arranged with Heymann Properties.
6. Shawna (our hired employee) will go to San Antonio to train with Rebecca at ImagDent one week before Rebecca comes to Lafayette. By having Rebecca come to Lafayette to train staff members from all of our offices, this will obviously save us quite a bit of expense and in additionn will give us the opportunity to have a staff member from each office become very familiar with this technology.

Looking good so far.

Jerry

Imaging Center Update

Gentlemen:

This is just an update on where we are regarding IMagDent of Acadiana. Because of the fact that Dr. Jim Pearce notified us of space available adjacent to his office on Coolidge we've looked into this space as possibly a more convenient location away from the traffic of South College and Johnston Street of Bldg. 315. Because of the fact that Dr. Pearce is "on location", should the issue or law be passed mandating a dentist to be on site for a setup such as we are considering, we now will have that covered. In addition, a couple of Dr. Pearce's assistants will attend the training session in Dallas along with Shauna a few other assistants from various offices so that they can serve as backup for us and therefore we should be able to exist with a single employee, early on in our setup.

I guess the best thing about this office on Coolidge is that it is setup perfectly as it once was a dental office occupied by the likes of Jerry Wentworth, Jack Cormier, Lige Dunaway and Caroline Guilbeau. We have plenty of room for our setup and the best part of this is the RENT IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE than anything we've come across as of yet. I also think that being on the ground floor as opposed to being upstairs in Bldg. 315 or The Surgicenter will be a plus as well.

A "technical guy" from IMagDent of Dallas (Bret Royal) will be flying in to Lafayette this coming Monday to survey the site and help us get things setup before the iCat arrives. We will have some minor carpeting and painting to take care of before we'll have them ship the machine to Lafayette.

In the meantime, Hunter as met with an attorney (Jody Zaunbracher) to setup our legal entity and just as soon as they've completed the legal aspects of all of this AND as soon as our financing for the machine is setup with the bank you will receive a "packet" with all of the information you will need to make your decision in being a part of this effort.

In summary, I think that Hunter Perret has been a huge help in getting this whole thing together and I'm not so sure that we could've gotten this far in such a short period of time without his expertise. His contacts and alignment with IMagdent of Texas I'm guessing will also prove to be a very wise move as I'm sure we won't be able to appreciate until this business is well underway.

I've been asked about "when will we be able to send patients over for CT scans"....and, the answer to that is simply we expect to be up and running between the middle of July to early August. This, of course, will depend upon contract labor for painting, carpeting, and other incidentals that need to be in place before we open our doors.

So, be on the lookout for your "packet" which will be either hand delivered or mailed to you soon and thank you for your cooperation and patience in all of this.

Jerry