Assessing and achieving accuracy in digital dental photography.

Accurate digital photography is becoming part of the standard of care for diagnosis and documentation in dental treatment. Proper exposure and color rendering are critical elements in the capture of useful images with excellent representational quality. Reliable photographic techniques must be consistently applied as a repeatable protocol to create an accurate record of pretreatment conditions and post-treatment results.

Contemporary dental photography: selection and application.

Technological developments in photography have continued to facilitate and enhance the practice of dentistry. This evolution to a contemporary photographic process is revolutionizing the way clinicians diagnose, treat, and communicate with patients and colleagues. In this technologically progressing profession, clinicians should consider using an objective strategy for the selection and application of a reliable camera system that best suits the needs of their practice.

Strategies for successful esthetic dental treatment.

The foundational principles of esthetic smiles reveal the direct influence of individual tooth alignment on dentofacial relationships. The use of clinical photography is an essential means to identify esthetic problems. Smile design provides an opportunity for effective communication to discuss treatment alternatives with the patient in the consultation process.

Dental photography systems: required features for equipment selection.

Photographic images are becoming a standard of care for visual communication and medicolegal documentation in contemporary dentistry. For visual images to be effective in diagnosis and treatment planning they must capture useful visual information. Repeatable and predictable image alignment, magnification, and exposure are required for predictable macrophotography in dental practice.

Repeatable alignment--Part II: Consistent photographic alignment accuracy.

Predictable aesthetic results necessitate the implementation of various dental principles for tooth display, alignment, and relative proportion. In order to ensure accurate communication, clinicians must clearly document visual information regarding violations of these tooth arrangement principles via dental photography. Accuracy in the alignment of photographs is crucial for subsequent treatment planning and evaluation.

Repeatable alignment--Part 1: Consistent model transfer record accuracy.

Successful restorative treatment requires the application of aesthetic dental principles that include guidelines for proper tooth alignment. Clinicians use mounted models in diagnosis and treatment when these aesthetic principles are violated. Accurately mounted casts are indispensable for precise communication with patients, specialists, and laboratory technicians, and will influence proper diagnosis and subsequent treatment.