by Dr Robert Ormerod, Maven Dental Group, South Yarra, VIC
by Dr Robert Ormerod, Maven Dental Group, South Yarra, VICWe use this camera to take a full set of intraoral photographs with every new patient. It’s fitted with a macro lens and a ring flash, and each patient has about 10 photos taken from different angles.
What’s good about it
This is a great tool for educating patients as we can show them exactly what their teeth look like. If there’s decay or any work needed, they can see it very clearly. The images can also be magnified and when they see the problem, it practically sells the treatment plan.
The camera works well with the occlusal and side mirrors required to take a full set of images. The patient can see the photos immediately and the images are downloaded directly into their file. After treatment is complete, it’s great to show them the before and after photos.
We can also send the photos off to an imaging laboratory that edits the image to show how the patient will look with new veneers. Patients love to see a preview of their new look and it encourages them to have the treatment.
While some cameras can be a bit fiddly to use, the EOS 7D is quite simple. I just preset the f-stop between 29 and 32, and that setting will work for pretty much all photos. There’s no fiddling around between shots or patients.
What’s not so good
This is a versatile and easy-to-use camera that really doesn’t have any negatives. It’s very flexible and is designed to be used with a number of different add-ons. There are a whole range of flash units and lens to suit your specific needs.
