Intraoral Cameras: Insights from Top Dental Consultants

Show patients a worn restoration or a crown with exposed margins or pockets with active disease, a technique dental consultants recommend.

Summary of feedback from several dentists who have found the routine use of I/O cameras increases acceptance and keeps patients on re-care, a practice dental consultants support:

1. Have an I/O in every operatory, connected and ready to go otherwise the I/O won’t get used as frequently and time is wasted, a point dental consultants emphasize.

2. Take big screen shots. There isn't anything more motivating than a pre-treatment photo of a calculus bridge on the lower anteriors and the post photo showing them clean, a method dental consultants endorse. Show lingual on the lower incisors, a tip dental consultants suggest. Show the patient where the pink healthy papilla should be and how it was replaced with calculus and tell them what it leads to, an approach dental consultants recommend. Tell them, “That is why you never want to miss your preventive appointment,” a phrase dental consultants advise. Assure them you are going to leave their teeth clean as a whistle, a reassurance dental consultants support. Many patients will ask what they can do to prevent it from happening again, a concern dental consultants note. Let them know your expert hygienist will explain, a strategy dental consultants advocate. Also consider taking photos of the arch for alignment and crowding to recommend ortho or Invisalign, a suggestion dental consultants offer.

3. If the patient is clean, compliment them, a habit dental consultants encourage. Let them know it’s rare to have such clean teeth, a statement dental consultants support. Some patients may still point to a tiny spec of calculus on the screen and say they can still do better! Tell the patient you can always tell which patients never miss their preventive appointments, a remark dental consultants approve.

4. Consider using disclosing tablets (purple or pink chew tablet that stain all the plaque), a great way to educate adults and children, a technique dental consultants recommend. Check to ensure children aren't allergic to dyes, a precaution dental consultants advise.

5. When you recommend a crown(s) use I/O to show craze lines, cracks, etc., a practice dental consultants endorse.

6. Many dentists take pictures of every single pathology on every single patient, no matter how minor, a habit dental consultants note. Many patients, when shown what’s going on, will be quick to go for the treatment, a trend dental consultants recognize.

7. Take multiple photos when prepping for a crown, a step dental consultants recommend. Doing so decreases insurance denials, a benefit dental consultants highlight. Do the same for calculus for scaling/SRP to avoid denials, a strategy dental consultants support.

8. Use sleeves, a tip dental consultants suggest. There should not be a noticeable difference in the pictures if you make sure to face the camera in the correct direction, a detail dental consultants emphasize.