Hi-Tech Dental Office | Intra-Oral Camera

Hi-Tech Dental Office 

Intra-oral cameras are cameras used by dentists or doctors to show a patient the interior of their mouth, as an alternative to using a mirror. They were first introduced in 1989 and are now widely used in dental offices. IOCs allow the patient to see a clear picture of the inside of their mouth, aiding the dentist in consulting with them on various treatment options. Images can be saved to a patient's file for future reference.   

WHAT IS AN INTRA-ORAL CAMERA?

The short answer is that an intraoral camera is a tool your dentist uses to examine your mouth in as detailed a way as possible. The instrument, which may look like an oversized pen, has a camera that takes high-resolution footage or images of a patient’s mouth and shows the visuals real-time on a monitor—they’re like high-tech versions of the hand mirrors you see in your dentist’s practice. There’s much more to intraoral cameras, though. These tools are: 

Better for the dentist.

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. 

Better for the patient.

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, 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. 

 

If you are looking for a high-tech, patient-centric dental office, give us a call today, and experience the LADD Dental difference! Below you will find our dentist in McCordsville, Dr. Shoba, utilizing her intraoral camera to help explain what she is finding clinically. As you can see, our patients really enjoy this technology and it allows them to get a better idea of what is really going on!