Dentaltown November 2021 - 43

It's been said that a picture's worth
a thousand words and for anyone in the dental
field who has tried to explain treatment options to a
patient, no truer words have been spoken. During my
29 years in practice, I've used pencil drawings on bracket
covers, pointed at radiographs and done what look like
hand puppets while explaining the difference between
overbite and overjet. To date, nothing has been better
at explaining dental problems to patients than clinical
photographs.
Maybe it's the ability for patients to see things through
our eyes, or the shock value of truly envisioning their
dental condition for the first time, but photographs
have an impact on diagnosis and treatment planning
unlike almost any other technology at our disposal.
However, if clinical photography is so important,
why don't we get much more training in school? Why
do assistants-and many doctors-struggle so mightily
with capturing exceptional images? Moreover, why have
few really been taught how to use these images for better
treatment planning and increased case acceptance?
When I crisscrossed North America teaching my
clinical photography workshops, I worked with doctors
who had $10,000 camera setups and those who didn't know
the difference between a DSLR and a " point-and-shoot. "
No matter the experience level, I identified four distinct
rules that, when followed, are almost guaranteed to help
anyone get better images and increased case acceptance.
If you're like most dentists, right now you're more
interested in the " right " camera or why your images are
too dark or too light, but I assure you that if you learn
the four " laws " of clinical photography, your images will
one day be the best in the room.
Learning to do these things correctly and consistently
isn't fun, exciting or easy, but it will change your life ...
and your practice.
Law #1: Make exceptional use of mirrors and retractors
I know, I know: You want to simply buy a camera that
will take great images right out of the box. Something
that will allow anyone to pick up a set of retractors and
get a great image every time. Well, I hate to be the bearer
of bad news, but no such camera exists. Great images
require great mirror and retractor usage.
Have you seen images that were way too dark even
though you were sure the settings were right (Fig. 1)?
Chances are, you didn't retract the cheeks enough
and that didn't allow the light to get to the subject.
Lips covering the teeth in the image (Fig. 2)? Yep,
poor retractor usage. Not representing the Angle's
classification properly (Fig. 3, p. 44)? You guessed it:
poor mirror and retractor usage.
Truth is, if you want your patients to see their
dental condition so they can accept it as a legitimate
issue during the diagnostic phase and follow through
with your treatment suggestions, you must have images
that capture the teeth properly (Fig. 4, p. 44). There's
simply no cheating this step. It takes practice and the
right equipment.
What's the right equipment? Retractors that allow
Fig. 1: Notice how much more difficult it is to see the
second molar because the retraction and mirror placement
didn't allow light to get back there.
Fig. 2: Improper use of retractors will cause the lips to
cover the teeth, obstructing vital structures.
dentaltown.com \\ NOVEMBER 2021 43
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Dentaltown November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown November 2021

Dentaltown November 2021 - Intro
Dentaltown November 2021 - Cover1
Dentaltown November 2021 - Cover2
Dentaltown November 2021 - 1
Dentaltown November 2021 - 2
Dentaltown November 2021 - 3
Dentaltown November 2021 - 4
Dentaltown November 2021 - 5
Dentaltown November 2021 - 6
Dentaltown November 2021 - 7
Dentaltown November 2021 - 8
Dentaltown November 2021 - 9
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Dentaltown November 2021 - Cover3
Dentaltown November 2021 - Cover4
Dentaltown November 2021 - Insert1_1
Dentaltown November 2021 - Insert1_2
Dentaltown November 2021 - Insert2_1
Dentaltown November 2021 - Insert2_2
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