An accessible, one-stop guide to getting the most out of dental photography in clinical practice
Dental photography is an increasingly important part of dental care in general practices, hospitals, and specialist clinics. The uses of dental photographs are numerous, such as monitoring treatment outcomes, educating patients, promoting services, and providing evidence for litigation or regulatory purposes. Essentials of Dental Photography is a user-friendly guide to incorporating dental photographs into daily practice. Containing real-world advice and proven techniques, this book helps clinicians understand and apply the fundamental principles of dental photography.
Accessible chapters cover every major aspect of dental photography and answer the most common questions asked by clinicians. Step-by-step instructions show readers how to select the correct photographic and dental equipment, setup equipment for a variety of dental procedures, process images using photo-editing software, and more. The author, a recognised expert in the field, explain the basic concepts of dental photography and how to create high-quality, predictable and repeatable images. Providing an easy-to-follow roadmap to exceptional dental photographs, this practical guide:
- Covers all the basic concepts, equipment, and techniques of dental photography
- Illustrates the photographic setups for both intra- and extra-oral images
- Provides recommendations for appropriate types of cameras, lenses, flashes, reflectors, tripods, and software
- Discusses photographic archiving, electronic dissemination, printing, publishing, and presenting images
Essentials of Dental Photography is a valuable guide for dental practitioners and new graduates looking to learn dental photography and apply it in practice.
Table of Contents
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv
Section 1 Equipment and Concepts 1
1 Photographic Equipment 3
Cameras 4
Sensors 6
Resolution 9
Sensor Speed or ISO 13
Sensor Cleaning 13
Colour (Bit) Depth 15
White Balance 16
Focusing 16
External Flash 17
Remote Shutter Release 17
Lenses 17
Lighting 19
Supports 23
Other photographic items 25
References 25
2 Dental Armamentarium and Clinical Considerations 27
Retractors 27
Photographic Mirrors and Contrasters 27
Field of View 30
Cross‐infection Control 31
Health and Safety 32
Location 33
Supports 39
Delegation 40
Patient Consent 41
References 42
3 Technical Concepts and Settings 45
Every Picture Tells a Story 45
Setting the Tone 48
Lighting 48
Depth of Field 52
Exposure and Histogram 57
White Balance 63
Resolution 64
Other Settings 68
References 68
4 Composition and Standardisation 69
Composition 69
Dominance 69
Positioning 72
Leading the Eye 79
Balance 83
Standardisation 84
Standardisable Factors 89
Non‐standardisable Factors 92
References 94
Section 2 Photographic Set‐ups 97
5 Extra‐Oral and Intra‐Oral Images 99
Positioning 99
The Essential Dental Portfolio 101
Extra‐Oral (Dento‐Facial) Compositions 103
Intra‐Oral Compositions 107
Optional Compositions 117
References 135
6 Portraiture 137
Lighting for Portraiture 137
Manipulating Light 138
Colour Temperature 138
Direction: Key Light 140
Intensity and Size 147
Fill Light 150
Background Light 153
Clinical Portraiture Set‐Up 154
The Essential Portrait Portfolio 156
Optional Clinical Portraits 164
Non‐clinical Portraiture Set‐up 166
Generic Studio Portrait 167
Flattering Portrait 167
Profile Portrait 168
Coloured Gel Portrait 170
Classical Smile Line Portrait 171
Clinical vs. Non‐clinical Portraiture 173
References 173
7 Bench Images 175
Uses of Bench Images 175
Backgrounds and Supports 178
Lighting 183
Bench Image Set‐ups 184
Equipment Settings 186
Dental Casts (Models) with Black Background 189
Dental Cast with Coloured Background 190
Implant Supported Temporary Crown with Red Background 190
Perspex Backgrounds 193
Bokeh Composition 195
Stroboscopic Effect 196
References 202
8 Special Applications 203
Detailed Analysis of Hard and Soft Tissues 203
Opalescence and Fluorescence 208
Fibre‐Optic Illumination 215
UV Illumination 215
Colour Fidelity 216
Shade Analysis 221
Scale Reference Markers 227
Annotations 230
Bleaching (Tooth Whitening) 236
Phonetics 236
Occlusal Analysis 239
Treatment Sequences 242
Endodontic Documentation 246
Focus Stacking 247
Video 247
Promotional and Artistic Imagery 248
References 248
Section 3 Processing Images 251
9 Processing Images 253
Monitor Calibration 253
File Formats 254
Imaging Software 255
Image Processing 260
Colour Spaces 262
White Balance 265
Exposure 265
Orientation, Scaling and Cropping 273
Artefact Removal 285
Local Adjustments 286
Sharpening 287
References 293
10 Exporting, Managing and Using Images 295
Exporting Files 295
Output Location 295
Naming Conventions (Formats) 297
Export Recipes 299
Image Management 301
Using Images 306
Documentation 306
Communication 307
Marketing 313
Education 315
References 331
Index 333
