One of the intraoral camera's most important advantages is the ability to capture and manipulate an image in the oral cavity and save it to the patient's chart. If electronic patient
charts are not being used, the images can be printed and filed in the patient's paper chart. This allows oral health care providers to share their observations with patients so they can
become better informed about their own dental health
The images captured by intraoral cameras allow patients to accurately visualize problems with their teeth and/or tissues, including fractured teeth or restorations, carious lesions, plaque buildup, and bleeding or inflamed tissues. With this technology, oral health care providers and patients can collaborate on the right treatment plan to achieve optimal oral health. Patients are now able to view potential problems along with clinicians while their treatment progress is effectively monitored. Sequential photos of treatment are an effective way to document patient compliance and improved oral health.
Clinicians examine the oral cavity for any precautionary symptoms that may indicate a health risk. Including images of all symptoms of oral lesions, eating disorders, and other diseases that may be present in the oral cavity is essential to effective patient documentation. The images captured by the intraoral camera closely illustrate the diagnoses and explain further to patients how to proceed with treatment. Consequently, oral health care providers can effectively explain consequences to patients if the condition is left untreated.
Intraoral images can also be printed out for patients to take home. This allows patients to consider the proposed treatment plan and hopefully become more motivated to improve their oral health. Some intraoral software programs allow images to be modified in real time to illustrate proposed esthetic changes prior to altering the tooth structure. Additionally, images can be sent electronically to dental laboratories for a more accurate color match in veneers, crowns, and/or fixed partial dentures.6,7
Table 1. Advantages of intraoral wand cameras 3,4
• Ease of use
• Immediate viewing of the images
• Effective in difficult to reach posterior areas
• Provide a high intensity light source
• Offer magnification capabilities