The intraoral camera makes going to the dentist easier for both the patient and the dental health provider. Offices that use intraoral cameras allow patients to be more interactive in the exam process, which provides patients with a greater sense of understanding and responsibility about personal dental health.

Each feature that benefits the dentist also benefits the patient—maybe even more. Your dentist understands symptoms and conditions thoroughly, but it’s often difficult to explain precisely what is happening in a patient’s mouth using just a mouth mirror, which is small and hard to see, or an x-ray image by dental x-ray machine, which takes time to print and doesn’t display images clearly.

When your dentist uses an intraoral camera during your examination, however, you’re seeing exactly what he or she sees right then. Dentists can display clear, colorful images, allowing them to point out any issues and discuss them with you immediately. You’ll certainly learn a lot about your mouth! And the more you see and understand, the more confident you can be when making treatment decisions.

Using correct verbiage to determine the when, where, who, what, why and how images will be taken by the intraoral camera. Turning your technology into an effective system in your practice takes practice, organization, and communication among all team members, and the time is very worth it! Results speak for themselves. When your technology becomes a system and is a consistent part of the patient experience, your team, your patients, and you will benefit tenfold.

Not only can you use your intraoral camera to diagnose and support necessary treatment, it can also build rapport and strengthen opportunity for future esthetic care with your patients. Use your intraoral camera proactively in the following ways:

Offset buyer’s remorse by showing patients a recently restored tooth compared to a tooth in their mouth that needs similar treatment. Show an image of the smile and ask patients what their thoughts are. If a patient is happy with his or her smile, great! This is your chance to explain the benefits of the current interval of care to maintain it. If someone is not happy, find out why, their wants, and what they would change about their smile if they could. The business team can use these images during case presentation as well. Sending patients home with an image of a diagnosed condition attached to a treatment plan is beneficial when they are not the decision maker.