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The use of photography in dentistry is well established. Progressive technological improvements and dedicated training and practice in the use of specialized dental photography equipment enables novice clinical photographers to quickly become as proficient as experienced experts. The range of applications for dental photography continues to grow and may enhance the assessment, diagnosis and management of the majority of patients. Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, coupled with macro lenses and specialized flashes, may predictably be expected to deliver the highest quality clinical images. As mastery of dental photography requires optimization of equipment, settings and photographic techniques, this article is designed to provide detailed practical guidance for clinicians wishing to incorporate dental photography as a routine component of clinical practice and to provide guidance on optimizing the use of photography to enhance remote patient consultations.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: Dental photography has an important role in optimizing face-to-face and virtual patient care in contemporary general dental practice.
Article
Clinicians worldwide are making increased use of photography to enhance patient care, increase job satisfaction and to grow practices by demonstrating their skills and expertise. The coronavirus pandemic has necessitated widespread adoption of remote consulting techniques and the diagnostic benefit of virtual patient/clinician communication can be significantly enhanced with the use of dental photographs.
In contemporary clinical practice there is a mandatory requirement for precise, accurate contemporaneous documentation of patient assessments, diagnoses, clinical decision-making, and patient management based on those decisions. High-quality dental photography should be an essential component of modern dental care as there are almost no patients whose long-term management would not benefit at some stage from the judicious use of clinical photographs. Optimal equipment selection and the principal benefits of clinical photography to patients and clinicians are well documented,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11 and are outlined in Table 1.
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