Standardized intraoral photography for the dental team

Abstract

D entistry is a dynam ic profession; concepts and procedures change alm ost daily. T he practitioner must be able to adapt to keep current. This is especially relevant in ou r litig ious society. Proper and accurate docum enta­ tion is im portan t when dealing w ith insurance com panies and their dental consultants. Patients are becom ing more knowledgeable about dental procedures and dem and to know more about an tic­ ipated treatm ent procedures. Careful diagnosis, treatm ent p lanning, and case presentation are the key to a successful practice. T h is is even more im portant w ith the wave of new treatm ent p rocedu res in es th e tic d en tis try and periodontal therapy. T h e p rac titioner needs to fully inform the patient about the nature of the disease and effect on the patient. Further, the patient has a right to know the prognosis and treatm ent procedure needed to restore health, as well as the consequences resulting in refusal of treatment. Finally, the patien t’s com ­ m itm ent to therapy needs to be explained and identified. Accurate charting of the existing prob­ lems by using radiographs, periodontal probes, m ounted dental casts, and explor­ ers is mandatory. A valuable adjunct to these docum entation procedures are in tra ­ oral photographs. Intraoral photographs can identify abnorm alities and disease conditions that are often missed in the in itial visual exam ination. These color slides or p rin ts will preserve all current clinical findings and become a perm anent part of the patien t’s record.1 Intraoral photographs become valuable in p lanning treatment, patient education, case presen­ ta tio n , p a tie n t m o tiv a tio n , an d case evaluation.2 Im plem entation of intraoral photog­ raphy into a busy practice dictates that the p rocedu re be sim p le , accurate, s ta n ­ dardized, and routine. T h e procedure should be sim ple enough to teach any member of the dental team to perform accurately. Publications are available that detail the equipm ent and the mechanics of intraoral photography .2,3 T his standardized routine can be im ple­ mented by any member of the dental team. T he series details the suggested position of the patient, m agnification, and chair position. T h e views include (Fig 1-20): 1. m axillary and m andibular incisal facial views; 2. m axillary and m andibular prem olar and canine facial views; 3. m axillary and m and ibu la r m olar