In this intraoral camera dental guide, I will go over all the different intraoral cameras currently on the market & how I use them in my dental practice.
I will also provide my top camera recommendations in dentistry. There are so many different cameras on the market at various price points so let's go over the different options and what is worth the price.
Lets jump right in . . .
Table of Contents
INTRAORAL CAMERA IN DENTISTRY
The intraoral camera is one of my favorite tools for communicating with my patients clearly. . . The most important things I illustrate are listed below:
- Deep Cracks
- Tooth Decay
- Oral Pathology
Deep Cracks
One of the most difficult things to communicate to patients involves cracks around existing restorations including large amalgam fillings or deep cracks on virgin teeth.
Superficial cracks can sometimes be asymptomatic which makes it difficult for patients to understand the potential consequences of leaving these cracks untreated.
Fortunately, the intraoral camera allows us to show these cracks visibly to our patients.
Tooth Decay
This is by far my favorite reasons to use intraoral cameras. Radiographs give our patients an idea of the extent of tooth decay; however, it is more impactful to show a picture illustrating how large decay extends.
Sometimes, I do this during the treatment planning step; however, it can be impactful to take multiple photos throughout the caries excavation process.
This allows the patient to understand the extent of the decay if it turns into more extensive treatment processes like root canal therapy or extraction. This is also a powerful documentation tool if needed after the procedure is complete.
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Oral Pathology
During our clinical examinations, we are sometimes presented with lesions that present themselves on the soft tissue of the mouth including areas under the ventral surface of the tongue, the cheek or the palate.
If the lesions look unfavorable, I refer out to the oral pathologist or oral surgeon for biopsy; however, a quick dental photograph allows us to investigate the lesions further with our colleagues. I always take a photo of any lesion that looks suspicious.
INTRAORAL CAMERA BENEFITS
So should you buy an intraoral camera or a dental photography camera . . . .
In my practice, both tools have completely different purposes. The dental photography camera allows me to take beautiful high quality before / after images of cosmetic cases as well as clearly communicate to my dental laboratory when performing indirect restorations.
However, a true professional camera can take a little bit extra time to setup and has a stepper learning curve than an intraoral camera.
The intraoral camera in dentistry allows me to take quick photos during my preparations or during the treatment planning process. The team can quickly learn how to take photos fast and it can clearly communicate treatment to patients by being immediately illustrated on a monitor in front of our patients.
INTRAORAL CAMERA PRICE
Unforunately, every tool in dentistry seems to be way overpriced especially to a young dental practitioner. These same costs apply to the variety of intraoral cameras on the market. Some of these cameras cost upward of $2000 while others cost as little as $200.
Later in this blog, I'll go over the difference in quality amongst a variety of intraoral scanners & ultimately what I would recommend to purchase. Before we jump into the details, let's talk about what the premium scanners offer versus the budget scanners.
Premium scanners, like the DEXIS™ DEXcam 4 HD, offer high resolution images with the ability to control the focus regardless of how close or far away the camera is from the tooth.
It uses a strong illumination source to light up the target which will ultimately deliver clear images that can be seen clearly on the monitor.
Budget scanners, like the Mouthwatch Intraoral Camera, use a fixed focus lens which limits the different types of photos you are able to take but still delivers clear photos that can be seen by our awesome patients.
Now, let's go over some of the costs.
DARYOU INTRAORAL CAMERA
Amazon Best Intraoral Camera
Unfortunately, the vast majority of intraoral cameras are not available on Amazon. However, out of the select few currently selling, the Daryou intraoral camera is by far the most popular and is incredibly cost effective.
The Daryou intraoral camera offers a lightweight usb compatible camera that takes high quality images with a super wide autofocus lens. It is compatible with most dental software including the popular Dexis & Eaglesoft.
I've been through expensive cameras & it always bothers me when they start to malfunction or break. This will inevitably happen as your team doesn't always take the highest standard of care with these camera . . . There will be times where a staff member drops the camera on the floor or slams it against the wall. This will happen & your device will break.
Warranties are always limited and they don't do enough to protect your asset that you've purchased for the practice.
My philosophy is to try to find an affordable budget friendly camera that you can comfortably replace without feeling over burdened on the price.
I have listed the features of the DARYOU intraoral camera below:
DARYOU DY-50 Intraoral Camera
budget friendly intraoral camera for dentistry
$
199.99
MOUTHWATCH INTRAORAL CAMERA
MouthWatch Intraoral Camera Reviews
The MouthWatch Intraoral Camera is the most popular camera reviewed by dentists on forums that I've seen through on facebook & other dental forums. This camera has been recommended due to its low price point and high quality of images.
Similar to the Daryou, MouthWatch claims a high quality image with a fixed focus lens & usb compatibility. It is lightweight & has a capture button that is compatible with most dental software.
From my research, I believe the MouthWatch and the Darylou can be combined in the same category as budget friendly intraoral cameras. Personally, I prefer the Darylou as once again I value affordability since I believe these cameras will be replaced multiple times throughout my career.
The most important factor is going to be diagnostic quality & from what I have seen both deliver diagnostic capabilities.
I have listed the top features of the MouthWatch Intraoral Camera Below:
MOUTHWATCH INTRAORAL CAMERA
Most Versatile Lens for Dental Photography
$
299.00
DEXIS INTRAORAL CAMERA
Dexis Intraoral Camera
The Dexis Intraoral Camera is a premium device for those that want the highest quality regardless of price. The newest Dexis camera is called the DEXIS™ DEXcam 4 HD & can be priced at over $1000. However, there are some qualities that make this camera rise above many of the budget devices.
We must first note the elevation of image quality in a premium product like the Dexis Intraoral Camera. It has a 1.3 million pixel CMOS sensor that delivers high resolution images that can be critically important when treatment planning.
This premium intraoral camera also offers 5 different field of view levels that can be toggled with the click of a button. This allows dentists to deliver narrowly focused images or wider images if needed to present different treatments.
I do believe the price is a bit high for an intraoral camera; however, if crystal clear images are needed in your practice then I would consider purchasing this device.
Dexis Intraoral Camera
Dexis Intraoral Camera
That's it!
I hope you enjoyed this brief blog about intraoral cameras. Wishing the best!
Full disclosure: I receive a commission if you purchase the dental products through my referral links. This helps me run this blog & I appreciate the support.
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