title: Bluetooth: The invisible connector. Short-range wireless technology for the contemporary orthodontic practice.
abstract: Although it sounds like a nonvital tooth, Bluetooth is actually one of technology's hottest trends. It is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks, but for a busy orthodontic practice, it translates to freedom from cables and cords. Despite its enigmatic name, Bluetooth-based devices and the wireless technology that these gadgets work with are here to stay. They promise to make life easier for the electronic-device users of all stripes, and orthodontists are no exception. The purpose of this article is to orient orthodontists, office staff, and auxiliary personnel to this universal wireless technology that is slowly becoming an integral part of every office.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Sciences, UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA. m.mupparapu@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Muralidhar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mupparapu
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D006801:Humans; D003629:Modems; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011215:Practice Management, Dental; D012984:Software