dentist

What if, instead of waiting a few weeks for your dentist to produce a cast for dental implants or replacement crowns, your jaw was scanned and, during that same dentist's visit, you were able to pull a perfect polymer shape out of a 3D printer and be on your merry way?

Mechanical engineers in Iran report in the International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing that printing our own teeth may not be so far off into the future.

While the process could be prohibitively expensive for years to come, it turns out that 3D printing, coupled with the comparatively affordable cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), may ultimately revolutionize prosthetic dentistry.

The tech, called rapid prototyping, uses a 3D image to control a laser that cures powdered or liquid polymer into highly complex shapes. In fact, Hossein Kheirollahi of the Imam Hossein University and Farid Abbaszadeh of the Islamic Azad University say this technology can produce just about any solid, porous, or complicated shape.

While the Iranian team has been able to demonstrate the use of rapid prototyping in developing dental objects quickly, we're likely at least a few years out from actual commercial development.

Below, watch tool replication via 3D printing:… Read more

Robots just became a whole lot more real this week as Japanese sex dolls help dental students perfect their technique and robot armpits assault your senses. We also pay equal time to Star Wars and Star Trek merchandise, and evaluate the forefront of giant hamburger technology and America's contribution.

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The recent popularity of GPS functionality built into smartphones and stock vehicles might eventually phase out third party portable navigation devices entirely, but folks who currently own Tom Tom systems can now hear their driving directions read by classic Star Wars characters like Yoda and Darth Vader. Tom Tom will release one Star Wars character a month, available as a $13 download- check out this hilarious promo for the Yoda version.

July 13 is the official Embrace Your Inner Geek Day so we're celebrating this annual holiday by doing...the same thing...we normally...do. And just for kicks, … Read more

The 404 Podcast will never charge for premium content because the words "premium" and "The 404" have never occurred in the same sentence before, and besides, we're no Hulu, who just announced Hulu Plus, a premium subscription service that offers all-you-can-eat helpings of your favorite primetime shows from ABC, NBC, Fox, and other cable channels for $9.99 a month. In addition, Hulu Plus will also stream full back catalogs of shows like Glee and Saturday Night Live.

The company also announced a Hulu Plus app that works with the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod … Read more

Sometimes we hear about gadgets that are made for good but could definitely be used for evil. Take the PediSedate, a combo gaming device and sedation machine.

It's essentially a Game Boy system modified to distract kids ages 3 to 9 with Tetris or something while they're pumped full of nitrous oxide to knock them unconscious for dental surgery. Sounds evil, even though it's intended to make things easier on the kid.

But that's not all it does. The colorful headset includes systems to monitor the patient, such as a pulse-oximeter to slightly adjust the flow … Read more

When it comes right down to it, people simply don't floss enough to please dentists. I've convinced myself it's the true reason people put off going to see one. I know it is so in my case. Forget the drill, the shots or the uncomfortable scraping. No, it's something more. It's the look. That dentist look. You know the one. It's the same devastating look you got when you were a kid and your parents said they weren't mad at you--they were disappointed. No matter how often I floss, I always get reprimanded … Read more

We're not sure how comfortable we'd be with our dentist using equipment made by an outfit called Zap Lasers, but it's probably better than a pair of rusty pliars.

The "Styla" is a pen-like device that's billed as the first microlaser for making soft-tissue incisions. Measuring less than 7 inches long and weighing under 2 ounces, it can be used for such procedures as performing biopsies and removing tissue. It can sense whether the person using it is right-or left-handed and, for the novice, even has eight pre-programmed procedures, according to Gizmag. (Shudder.)

A … Read more

Zocdoc is a new service for finding local dentists and booking appointments for times that work with your schedule. It's aim is to replace the often aggravating process of trying to find a local dentist through the overwhelming, and often non-user-friendly directories provided by insurance companies.

Just plug in your city or ZIP code, and Zocdoc will pull up a list of local dentists, along with their daily appointment openings and insurance options. You can sort open appointment times by the type of service you're looking for--e.g., cleanings, Invisalign, or the hallowed root canal. If you find … Read more

If you were to combine a dentist chair and a workstation, while throwing in a crane perched precariously above one's head for good measure, you'd probably have something that looked pretty close to the "Personal Computing Environment Station" from PCE. As GeekSugar says, the manufacturer claims that it is designed to "enhance your gaming experience and improve your productivity." (Aren't those mutually exclusive goals?)

Regardless of its intended purpose, this Rube Goldberg-looking setup seems more like an updated version of a medieval torture device than a workstation. For one thing, how do … Read more