In the world of dentistry, photography has become an essential tool. Dental Photography refers to a special branch of photography that focuses on capturing images of the oral cavity and its associated structures. It plays an important role in communication, patient education, and care & treatment planning. It is a specialized form of photography which helps patients and dentists simultaneously.
Various types of dental photography:
1)
Intraoral Photography: It includes capturing or shooting various intraoral structures of the oral cavity like teeth, gums, and various tissues. Intraoral photography
requires various macro lenses in the camera to take close-up images of
individual teeth, restorations, etc. It is a very helpful aid in patient
education.
2)
Extraoral Photography: It includes capturing images outside the oral cavity that is face
profiles and smile images. This helps in evaluating the overall treatment plan.
3)
Digital smile design: It includes capturing various forms and angles of smiles to digital
design a smile makeover case and assess the overall facial symmetry.
4)
Shade and color photography: It is essentially used to capture tooth shade colors for a better
treatment plan.
5)
Laboratory photography: This includes capturing pictures of cast models, tooth preparation,
etc. for the preparation of crowns, bridges, and veneers for laboratory technicians.
6) Clinical Photography: This includes Pre and Post Photographs of dental treatments like Veneers, Dental Restorations, Teeth Whitening, etc.
Advantages of Dental Photography:
·
Communication and Patient Education: Dental Photographs can be a great asset for
dental professionals to educate their patients as it is a visual representation
for patients to see their actual dental condition.
·
Treatment Planning: With the help of dental photographs, a detailed view is provided of
anatomical structures, teeth, and occlusions which helps in tailoring customized
treatment plans for patients
·
Legal Documentation: Dental Photographs serve as crucial dental records required for medico-legal cases and insurance claims.
· Shade Matching & Smile Design: Many cosmetic procedures like veneers require appropriate shade matching and smile design which can be accurate with the help of dental photographs. Dental photos help in analyzing the smile curve, facial profile, and tooth proportions required for smile design.
Common Dental Treatments which require Dental Photography:
Ø
Cosmetic Procedure: Like Veneers, Teeth Whitening, and smile makeover.
Ø
Orthodontics:
Photographs of initial teeth position & occlusion stages and final stages
to make a comparison of the progress.
Ø
Restorative Dentistry: Pre & Post pictures of the tooth-colored fillings, Crowns and
Bridges, and Dental Implants to show patients.
Ø
Oral Surgery:
Photography aids in assessing pre-operative conditions, orthognathic
surgery, etc.
Ø
Periodontics:
Dental Photographs help to see the progress of tissue healing after gum
surgeries.
Ø Prosthodontics: Cases of Full Mouth Rehabilitation and dentures do require dozens of pre and post-photographs.
What is needed to take a dental photograph?
To Capture a High-quality Photograph a Dentist needs a professional camera with manual controls, macro lenses, flashlights with illumination, intraoral mirrors for image reflection, a separate photography studio for facial pictures, along with proper comprehensive documentation and consent for legal purposes.
Dental Photography has evolved as an important
tool in modern dentistry, serving its purpose for both patients and dental
professionals. Dr. Pankti Patel is widely regarded as the best dentist in
Ahmedabad and the chief dentist of Teeth Care Centre. She believes in using the
best and the latest equipment for her patients. At TCC, we have a separate
photography studio along with the latest camera and equipment to capture the
most beautiful smiles of our patients.
