Dental Photography Student Handbook

Below the images the magnification setting on the lens (i.e. 1:3, 1:1.5) and the aperture setting (i.e. f/8, f/32) will be identified.

Created by: Todd R. Schoenbaum, DDSRichard G. Stevenson, DDS

The settings and equipment recommendations pro-vided in this manual are guidelines. Adjustments may need to be made based on personal preference, equipment differences or varied situations.

Photographic Strategies- The field needs to be free of debris, plaque, saliva, and blood- Visualize the final image before aligning the camera- Position the retractors as desired, and have the patient hold them in position- Mirrors must be clean and scratch-free- Retractors should be pulled out and away from the face- Ensure that the flash batteries are fully charged

Full Face- Position the patient approximately 3 feet from the background drape- The patient’s head should be vertical left-to-right and front-to-back- Autofocus is useful for this image only- Set the aperture to f/8 (if the image is too dark set to f/5.6) Shade Images- Position the shade tabs parallel with, and in the same plane as, the teeth being matched- The teeth need to be dry, but fully hydrated - Ensure that the tongue is not touching the lingual of the teeth- Use a contraster for maxillary anterior teeth to emphasize translucency and characterization

Occlusal Images- Position the patient in a fully supine position, with the chair lowered as much as possible- The patient holds the retractors after they are placed by the clinician- The assistant holds the mirror and the air/water syringe to keep the teeth dry and de-fog the mirror- For the maxillary image, stand at the 12 o’clock position, tilt the patient’s head back- For the mandibular image, stand at the 9 o’clock position, lean against the chair over the patient “M” (incisal reveal with lips at rest) - Set the magnification to 1:3 on the lens - Instruct the patient to say “Emma”, allowing the lips to relax to a normal position - Watch the patient do this a few times before positioning the camera and taking the picture

“E” (maximum gingival display) - Instruct the patient to smile as big as possible- If the patient does not appear to be producing a complete smile, instruct them to say “eeee”

Photographic ArmamentariumPhotographic Armamentarium

1 - Digital SLR body2 - Compatible Macro lens (~100mm; non-zoom)3 - Macro flash (Ring or Dual-point)

4 - Memory card5 - Cheek retractors6 - Contraster7 - Occlusal and buccal mirrors

Exposure mode: M (manual)Flash mode: eTTLFocus: manual

ISO: 200White balance: FlashImage quality: Large JPEG RAW for shade imagesShutter speed: 1/250Aperture: f/8 for full face images f/32 for intra-oral images

Settings for Dental Photography

Basic Diagnostic Image Series6 images

2. Lips in Repose (“M” position)

- Turn off auto focus; set magnifi-cation to 1:3 and aperture to f/32- Instruct patient to say “Emma”- Used to determine incisal display with lips in repose

3. Maximum gingival display (“E” position)

- Instruct patient to say “eeee”- Used to determine the maximum lip height and gingival display

1. Full face smiling

- Use autofocus for this image- Patient’s head should be vertical- Aperture may need to be adjusted depending on the flash strength

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:15 aperture f/8

Basic Diagnostic Image Series6 images

5. Maxillary occlusal

- Place patient in fully supine position- Insert retractors (patient holds)- Dry teeth, then insert mirror- Shoot from 12 o’clock position- Focus at 1st premolar

4. Retracted

- Insert retractors- Thoroughly dry the teeth and gingiva- Teeth should be slightly separated- Retractors need to be pulled out and forward

6. Mandibular occlusal

- Place patient fully supine with head tilted back- Insert retractors and dry teeth- Place mirror under tongue- Focus at 1st premolar

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

Posterior Restoration Image Series3 images

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:1.5 aperture f/32

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

1. Shade Image (RAW)- Position shade tabs as close as possible to the teeth to be matched- Use the appropriate shade guide for the porcelain to be used- Keep tabs vertical

2. Pre-operative Occlusal- Use buccal mirror - If not using a rubber dam, use cheeck retractors- Teeth should be clean and dry

3. Post-operative Occlusal- Use buccal mirror - If not using a rubber dam, use cheeck retractors- Teeth should be clean and dry

magnification 1:15 aperture f/8 magnification 1:3 aperture f/32

magnification 1:1.5 aperture f/32 magnification 1:1.5 aperture f/32

magnification 1:1.5 aperture f/32 magnification 1:1.5 aperture f/32

5. Shade Image (RAW)

4. Retracted1. Full face smiling

2. Pre-op

3. Preparation 6. Post-op

Anterior Restoration Image Series6 images

Comprehensive Diagnostic Image Series (16 images)

1. Full face smiling2. “M” (Lips in repose)3. “E” (max. gingival display)4. “F” (A-P relation)5. Right smile6. Center smile7. Left smile8. Pre-Operative shade image9. Right retracted10. Center retracted11. Left retracted12. Right close-up13. Center close-up 14. Left close-up15. Maxillary occlusal16. Mandibular occlusal

1. Full face smiling2. “M” (Lips in repose)3. “E” (max. gingival display)4. “F” (A-P relation)5. Right smile6. Center smile7. Left smile8. Pre-Operative shade image9. Right retracted10. Center retracted11. Left retracted12. Right close-up13. Center close-up 14. Left close-up15. Maxillary occlusal16. Mandibular occlusal

Comprehensive Diagnostic Image Series (16 images)