144 Australasian Dental Practice September/October 2014

The latest SoproCARE intraoral camera with spe-cialised “Perio” and “Cario” functions has revolutionised diagnosis and case accept-ance in the dental practice.

Oral Health Therapist and part owner of Griffith Street Family Dental, Coolan-gatta, Cheryll Dunn B.Oral.H (Griffith) (pictured right), said there is no longer a need to “sell” oral hygiene or treatment plans to patients when they can see the state of their oral health for themselves.

“As soon as I get the camera out and start showing the patient the inside of their mouth on the chair monitor, they instantly become interested. I don’t have to con-vince them of anything as it is right there in front of them. The patient is the one who becomes critical of their teeth and starts asking the questions, like: ‘what is that?’ And ‘Is that a problem?’

“Because of the magnification and the detail of the SoproCARE, the patient can see it all for themselves. Their mouths transform into vital, visual information. By placing the camera in Perio mode, I can show them the difference between healthy and diseased gingiva as well as old and new

plaque deposits. Patients are quite amazed when seeing calculus on the back of their lower anteriors for the first time and are very keen to have it removed. It also rein-forces the need for patients to attend their recall appointments every six months.

“Suddenly it is the patient who is insistent on making their recall appoint-ment and they become motivated to take care of their oral health. As far as a marketing tool, it’s unbelievably invalu-able. It takes away the scepticism of treatment and patient uncertainty. This builds patient trust in the practitioner, especially with new patients. I have found it to be a valuable marketing tool and practice builder.”

Another significant benefit is patient education, particularly with parents of young children. “The kids love me using the camera on them,” Ms Dunn said. “We look at their teeth, up their nose and in their ears which is a bit of fun. It relaxes them and helps me build a rap-port and trust with them so they become easier to treat.

“If the kids have cavities, I usually record and print out a picture so the kids can take the pictures home for show and

tell. I also get them to put it on their fridge to remind them of what sugars can do to their teeth.

“I also use the camera to take head shots of my patients so they can be stored in their files which helps me recall who they are before they come in. I also record their smiles which is useful in orthodontic cases and growth patterns over time. In older patients, it is useful in recording perio progression and stabilization. I can’t speak highly enough of the SoproCARE, its use is so diverse, it is fantastic!”

SoproCARE camera revolutionises case acceptance

high tech | DENTISTRY

146 Australasian Dental Practice September/October 2014

high tech | DENTISTRY

Before and after photos

S imilarly the SoproCARE is useful for “before” and “after” photos for bleaching treatments. “It’s not just a diagnostic

tool, it is great for patient education. The patient believes you and often asks you to do more - like get rid of stains and grooves (with fissure sealants). It puts the emphasis and control back on the patient - and they do their own self-diagnosis and say things like: ‘How can we fix that?’, if they see cracks in their amalgam fillings for example.”

Ms Dunn also pointed out that the SoproCARE helped with treatment planning and compliance with agreed treatments, espe-cially if more involved and costly procedures were required.

“After consultation with the dentist, if a patient is not sure if they can afford a procedure, I record and print out the problem area. Having hard evidence of their own mouth is more com-pelling than a generic handout and the patient can relate more personally to the information. Patients are also encouraged to take the printout home and discuss it with family members in their own time. It’s far better to show the patient a picture of their own situation and individualize the treatment, than to use generic pictures that they can’t connect with.”

A tool for every patient

M s Dunn said she uses the SoproCARE on all her patients

and in just three to five minutes, she’s got a thorough assessment of the entire mouth, outlining potential problem areas.

“I use it in intraoral ‘Daylight’ camera mode first up. In daylight mode patients can see the calculus as it actually appears. When you change to Perio mode, old plaque shows up as a yellow/orange colour using fluorescence technology and new plaque is displayed as a white milky area. It also shows slight gum inflammation as a magenta pink border and severe gingivitis as a magenta red border, which is imperative for reinforcing the importance of keeping gums healthy.

“The same goes with Cario mode - decay shows up as a red warning signal. The red signal allows you to see decay in the proximal surfaces of the teeth, justifying the use of X-rays to be certain. It is also a great diagnostic tool for fis-sure caries that is not always visible to the naked eye or by probing.

“I believe the SoproCARE camera is an essential tool for any dental practice. To me, it is as natural as picking up a mirror. These days, I pick up the camera first and show my patients inside their mouths and it is their own mouth that sells the necessary treatment, not me.”

The SoproCARE intraoral camera is available from A-dec. Call 1800-225-010 or visit www.a-dec.com.au for the location of your nearest authorised A-dec dealer.

Above: In SoproCARE’s Cario Mode, carious lesions appear red.Below: In Perio Mode, old plaque shows yellow orange under fluorescence.