Manipal Hospital has opened a new multi-specialty dental care centre. The super specialty wing is equipped with 16 ultra modern chairs, plasma screens for each chair and a unique centralized sterilization system. The hospital has installed India's first Planmeca Promax Orthopantemogram (OPG) x-ray machine for maxillo-facial radiology.
The dental centre headed by Dr. K S Bhat. It is located on the sixth floor of the hospital has adopted a paperless environment, would also offer services in Orthodontics, Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry, oral & maxillo-facial surgery, oral diagnostics and radiology and Prosthodontics. Dr. K S Bhat, heads the Department of Dental Medicine.
Dental care at hospitals has been a mere specialty while super specialty dental care centres have had separate identity of their own. The dental centre will be hospital's seventh super specialty (the other six being Manipal Institute of neurological disorders, nephrology and urology, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism, surgery and oncology), R Basil, CEO, Manipal Hospital said.
The Planmeca ProMax X-ray unit sourced from Planmeca, Finland costs Euro 48,000. The state-of-the-art machine, finds mention in the Fennia Prize 2003 design contest early this year. Its design and operating principles are based on the latest scientific research using advanced technologies for maxillo-facial radiology. The X-ray unit employs new SCARA (Selectively Compliant Articulated Robot Arm) technology, the most ideal solution for rotational maxillo-facial X-ray units, and can produce any rotation pattern that is required in existing or future exposure programs.
The software for the X-ray unit calculates the optimal imaging geometry for each exposure with absolute precision. The open positioning with triple laser positioning lights minimizes errors caused by incorrect patient positioning. The operator can monitor the patient freely from all directions, which makes patient positioning quick, precise, and easy.
The chairs at the clinic are equipped with micro step motors for smooth and precise movements to ensure accurate and reproducible radiographs. The advanced four-blade collimator enables full flexibility in shaping the X-ray beam for any current or future imaging programs. The unit's main display has a graphical user interface (GUI) that guides the user's program selection with text and clear graphic symbols. The settings are quick, logically grouped, and easy to understand. A self-diagnostic system continuously monitors the unit, and a help messaging system guides the operator enabling correct use of the unit with all necessary information displayed on the screen.