WOW Technology

I have been writing blog posts since 2010 advocating for the many advantages of case presentation using a tablet like an iPad. Loading photos onto the iPad is now seamless and almost instantaneous. And there are apps that you can download to a tablet that show beautifully designed drawings or graphics that illustrate dental problems and solutions to those problems. Sitting with your patient looking at photos on a computer screen compared to looking at photos on a tablet that can be manipulated – well it just isn’t even close! The level of intimacy and the clarity of the images is so far superior when you use a tablet.

The Microsoft Surface Book is an impressive tool that takes case presentation and treatment planning to a new level. It is a device which merges the power and performance of a laptop with the flexibility and mobility of a tablet. The screen detaches from the keyboard at the touch of a button and easily clicks back into place. The tablet (screen) is large at 13.5 inches and provides amazingly crystal-clear images and sharp color contrast. It obviously is a significantly larger screen for display to your patient then a conventional tablet. It also has a stylus that allows you to draw directly onto the tablet.

I see the principal use for this device to assist the treatment coordinator when he or she is making financial arrangements and closing the case after the doctor has presented treatment options. The coordinator can sit with the patient and refer to and review the treatment options using the tablet. Then with one click, the tablet can be re-attached to the keyboard and that laptop can support all of the practice management systems and can print out financial and insurance documentation.

Take a look and decide for yourself. It is a bit pricey – but used correctly it will be well worth the cost.