Clear aligner treatments go much more smoothly when keeping adequate or better records. Good quality photos are essential. Get consent to use photos/ videos for education and marketing purposes so you can show your other patients how clear aligners could benefit them. This is one of your best marketing and sales tools. 

Any iphone (iphone 8 or above ) will capture adequate quality photographs. Alternatively a DSLR can be used. A ringflash or similar extra lighting is useful. Also consider putting a retractable, grey blind up on your clinic wall as a ‘ready to roll down’ background.

Always respect the integrity of your patients’ records

Consider and plan your image storage and safeguard against susceptibility to data leaks

Steps to taking good quality control photos:

1.  Choose a solid light background

2.  Stand in front of the person

3.  Centre the face/teeth in the photos

4.  The patient must not stand against the background to avoid shadows forming

5.  Make sure long hair is tied back and out of the way of the patient's face 

6. Make sure nothing is obscuring the patient's teeth

7. Check the quality of the photo (Focus &Exposure)

Ensure all teeth are present in the required photo

1. Extraoral photos:

1.   Profile repose

2.  Frontal repose

3.  Frontal smiling

2. Intra-oral photos (with cheek retractors):

4.   Lower arch - open mouth

5.   Upper arch - open mouth

6.   Right buccal - teeth together

7.   Anterior - teeth together

8.  Left buccal - teeth together.

Happy photographising !

Next post will be about impression taking and intraoral scans

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