On a wintry Sunday in November, Dr Kevin Silver (our upcoming Alpha Omega Chairman 2024/2025) opened his lovely surgery in North London to several members of Young Alpha Omega, students, and newly qualified dentists, to demonstrate and explain Dental photography.
He had a wide remit, but essentially planned to cover:
Equipment required
Camera setup
Photographic techniques,
Workflow
Troubleshooting, and hints and tips
Initially, he asked those present about their current experience with Cameras. Most are very early in their career path and the consensus was that quite often there doesn’t seem to be enough time within the appointments and that the patients occasionally become frustrated. Also using an intra-oral Camera can often be easier or even an iPhone. The issue of consent was also discussed esp. where personal phones were being used.
Dr Silver acknowledged these difficulties and then explained that the use of the camera needs to become an integral part of the exam for instance for medico-legal purposes, recording a trauma, before and after shots of work. And especially for treatment planning if the way forward is unclear… so pictures, X-rays Study models to allow sharing with colleagues will help with formulating a plan. And as well for any pathology, marketing, or website. It is lovely to be able to show patients what can be achieved especially as many of them don’t understand the language of dentistry…. pictures are a really valuable tool!
He commenced the afternoon with a general discussion and explanation of the basic requirements for effective photography. The key is to be able to set everything up to be able to obtain pictures quickly and easily.
So, ideally, you will need:
A digital SLR… you do not need to spend a fortune on the body
A crop sensor
Macro lens either 60mm or 100mm
A ring flash… and one with ETTL
The take-home message is… have everything ready and set up in a camera bag. This will speed up the procedure.
Don’t rule out second-hand equipment from a good shop and make sure everything is compatible.
Dr Silver recommended that it would be great to have your camera at all times so the settings would barely need to be changed except the aperture. Sharing a camera brings its problems and causes delays.
Here is a list of accessories he recommends… go for front surface mirrors every time but take care with them as they scratch very easily.
He then discussed settings (see above): there are only 3 settings to worry about: Shutterspeed, ISO and the aperture the last being the only one that needs to be changed most of the time depending on the depth of field.
When doing exams read the requirements very carefully! There are a few set pictures needed
A few tips: Have the Camera in the bag ready to go, spare battery for the camera and the flash; chargers for both, memory cards, and manual for the camera. He recommends Eneloop good-to-go or pre-charged batteries… sometimes the high-capacity batteries lose their charge while sitting in the bag!
Workflow:
Patient consent is essential. Must be signed and put on the notes
Warm up your mirrors!
Dry teeth with a 3 in 1
Record the patient name!! Simple way is to take a photo of the patients name with the pictures
With EXIF data you have all the settings and it’s a good way to protect your image and maybe work out any issues at the time.
And after heading for the bagels and the brownies, the group went into the surgery to see a practical demonstration using a willing volunteer!
Dr Silver demonstrated the use of the retractors and mirrors and the best positioning of the patient for optimal imaging as well as how to retract with one hand while holding the camera with the other… a slight challenge for some!
See the pictures below:
It was an excellent and detailed presentation that was well received by all.
Thank you Dr Silver for taking the time on a Sunday to share your experience and knowledge!
Dr Diana Spencer
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