title: Current products and practices: personal digital assistants in orthodontics.
abstract: Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have certain advantages over conventional diaries and are thought of as the 'electronic filofax'. They can be backed up, used for personal and professional organization, integrated with mobile phones for email and Internet access, image storage, logbook functions and audit. They are limited when used for desktop functions. This article attempts to highlight the current advantages and disadvantages of PDAs for use in orthodontics, and provides some guidance to those who are considering the purchase of such a device.
authors.affiliation: FTTA in Orthodontics, Department of Orthodontics, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Castle Lane East, Bournemouth, Dorset BH7 7DW UK. sunilhirani@aol.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirani
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodgkins
authors.forename: S D M
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D034201:Computers, Handheld / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D034742:Electronic Mail; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012984:Software