Intraoral cameras have incredible technological features. With LED lighting, a head that rotates from 0 to 90 degrees, and powerful magnifying capabilities (some cameras can zoom in up to 100x), your dentist can examine your mouth in extreme detail. This means he or she can make diagnoses more accurately. The office can attach these photos to your health record to make tracking any changes simple. Additionally, because the visuals from the intraoral camera appear on the monitor as they’re taken, your dentist can discuss your oral health with you while you both see the images or footage.

Many intraoral cameras can do that, but with a combination system I can also switch to a diagnostic setting which makes potential carious lesions stand out from the healthy tooth structure in a way that is easy for not just a clinician but also for a patient to see and understand. With this extra diagnostic capability goes even further with a periodontal screening setting that can provide images to help patients understand the periodontal issues discovered by their hygienists.

As clinicians, we use magnification to enable us to see better, but what about our patients? We try to explain what we see or try to show them in a hand mirror. But can they really see what we see? Usually the patient doesn't see the same things we see; they may just trust but not fully understand or visualize what we are trying to explain. I have had many patients to whom I have tried to educate and explain the need for periodontal therapy and the significant amount of calculus present, only to have the patient request a "regular cleaning."

Image quality and ease of use of intraoral cameras have improved tremendously over the years. Most are now very slim and ergonomically designed handpieces with a single button for capturing images quickly, while others may require the click on a computer screen's icon to capture the desired images. Most are corded and can plug into the USB port in the computer. As with many dental products, multiple manufacturers of intraoral cameras are able to bridge with different radiography software. Similar to computer programs and products, each intraoral camera system has its own features, and some are compatible to specific software.

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.