Choosing The Right Dental Camera

LŪM Transillumination

Choosing The Right Dental Camera

Navigating the World of Intraoral Cameras: A Comprehensive Guide by Digital Doc

In the intricate world of dental technology, choosing the right intraoral camera is a pivotal decision that can significantly impact patient care and practice efficiency. Digital Doc, a trusted name in dental innovation, has curated a comprehensive guide to help dental professionals navigate the diverse landscape of intraoral cameras. In this blog post, we explore the key considerations and highlight how Digital Doc stands out in offering cutting-edge solutions.

LŪM Transillumination

Image Quality Matters

 When it comes to intraoral cameras, image quality is paramount. Digital Doc’s commitment to excellence is reflected in the superior image quality of our intraoral cameras. The high-resolution images captured by these devices provide a clear and detailed view of the oral cavity, enabling accurate diagnostics and effective patient communication.

Versatility in Application

 Intraoral cameras should be versatile enough to cater to various dental procedures. Digital Doc’s range of intraoral cameras is designed to adapt to the diverse needs of dental professionals. Whether it’s capturing detailed images for diagnostics, documenting treatment progress, or educating patients about their oral health, Digital Doc’s intraoral cameras offer a multifaceted solution.

Ease of Use and Ergonomics

 A user-friendly design is crucial for seamless integration into dental workflows. Digital Doc understands the significance of ease of use and ergonomics, ensuring that our intraoral cameras are intuitive and comfortable for practitioners. The user-centric design facilitates efficient operation, reducing the learning curve for dental professionals.

Integration with Digital Workflows

 In today’s digital age, the integration of intraoral cameras with digital workflows is essential. Digital Doc’s intraoral cameras seamlessly integrate with various digital platforms, including practice management software and electronic health records. This integration enhances overall workflow efficiency, allowing for smooth documentation and collaboration among dental teams.

Patient Engagement and Education

 Intraoral cameras play a vital role in patient engagement and education. Digital Doc’s intraoral cameras empower practitioners to involve patients in their treatment journey by providing a visual understanding of their oral health. The vivid and clear images captured by these cameras enhance communication, fostering a sense of trust and collaboration between dentists and their patients.

Durability and Reliability

 Investing in a durable and reliable intraoral camera is a long-term investment in the practice. Digital Doc’s commitment to quality ensures that our intraoral cameras are built to withstand the rigors of daily clinical use. The robust construction and reliability of these devices contribute to their longevity and consistent performance.

Commitment to image quality

 In the dynamic world of intraoral cameras, the choice of the right device can make a substantial difference in dental practice. Digital Doc’s comprehensive guide serves as a valuable resource for dental professionals seeking a reliable, versatile, and technologically advanced intraoral camera. With a commitment to image quality, versatility, user-friendliness, integration, patient engagement, durability, and cost-effectiveness, Digital Doc stands as a trusted partner in empowering dental professionals to make informed choices and embrace the future of intraoral imaging.

 
 
 
 

Explaining the Benefits of Transillumination to Patients

Explaining the benefits of Transillumination to Patients - Digital Doc LLC

Explaining the Benefits of Transillumination

Explaining the Benefits of Transillumination to Patients 2021

Using Digital Doc’s LuM Transillumination device is a true game-changer for dentists. However, it can be quite confusing for patients who aren’t familiar with advanced dental technology. In this article, we’re discussing how your team should be explaining the benefits of transillumination to patients. 

How is a Dental Transillumination test performed?

A dental transillumination test is identical to a standard x-ray. When a patient appears for the test, the dentist will first place a disposable mouthpiece over their tooth. A light will then be shone through the tooth using the test device. The image taken of the tooth will then be transferred onto the dentist’s computer screen.

The quality of the images can be improved by using technologies such as the LUM. The LUM uses sub-enamel illumination diagnostic methods to improve the detection capabilities of the intraoral camera like those manufactured by Digital Doc. It is an easy-to-use device which facilitates instant detection and documentation.

The LUM applies a high-intensity light to the tooth, with unique positioning to ensure that the light travels perpendicular to the plane of the tooth. If a tooth has no impurities, the light will travel uninterrupted from the buccal surface to the lingual. However, the light is dispersed if the tooth has impurities such as fractures or leaking amalgam.

How long does a Dental Transillumination test take?

A dental transillumination test will be performed within a few minutes. The purpose of dental transillumination is similar to a standard x-ray, however, the difference is that dental transillumination is computer-based while x-rays are film-based. The images taken during a dental transillumination test are projected on a computer screen as they are taken. Our friend Dr. Hoang, a dentist in Bethlehem, GA, highly recommends having HD televisions in every operatory for this exact reason.

 

Explaining the benefits of Transillumination to Patients - Digital Doc LLC

Benefits of Dental Transillumination

Dental transillumination tests can expose problems in teeth that cannot be found using the naked eye or x-rays. The light shines through a healthy tooth easily, making its tooth structure lighter, while decay appears as cloudy shadows in the image.

A dental transillumination test also helps to reveal any fine cracks in the teeth. It is especially effective in discovering decay under old fillings in teeth.

What should you discuss with your patient before a dental transillumination test?

It is important to have your patients give you a detailed description, the more information that is given, the better. If they feel pain in a certain area or undergoing some sort of trauma, then you need to know. Explain to your patient that this information can help you decide which treatment may be better.

Dental Transillumination is just one step of the treatment process. The more detailed and comprehensive the results are, the better the overall treatment experience will be.

If you’re interested in a transillumination device or any other Digital Doc products, contact Digital Doc today to schedule a virtual demonstration. 

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.  

Tips to Grow Your Cosmetic Dentistry Practice 2021

Canva Design for Cosmetic Dental Marketing

Tips to Grow Your Cosmetic Dentistry Practice

Tips to Grow Your Cosmetic Dentistry Practice 2021

At Digital Doc, we are so much more than an intraoral camera company. We don’t create quality dental technology and then disappear after the transaction is complete. With every relationship we have been able to build, whether it be with our distribution partners or our direct relationships with our dentists, we aim to deliver more value than our clients expect. In this article, we share a few tips to grow your cosmetic dentistry practice without spending a fortune on dental marketing. 

Best Practices from Leading Dentists

#1. Graphic Design for Dentists 

Have you heard of Canva? If not, we recommend you or your office manager, marketing support person take a good look at it. Canva can help you to create fast, professional-looking graphics for all of your marketing materials. Specifically today we want to focus in on the marketing you are doing on your flat-screen TV’s through the office. Download the CANVA app and design sharp images to display on your 55” monitor in your office.

Canva Design for Cosmetic Dental Marketing

#2 Visual Impact of TV Screens in your Dental Practice 

Our most successful Cosmetic Dentists are hanging 55” monitors on the wall in each treatment room. Why so big? What size monitor do most patients watch at home? 55” 65”. . . perhaps the new 85”? The consumer walking in the door also watches at least a 55” at home. If you have been to a Mcdonald’s lately, you may have noticed how many 55” monitors are on the wall when ordering? Your new patients will increase just by you connecting with their consumer behavior. They will be surprised, impressed and every image you show on the screen will connect with them on a higher level than a 15” or 25” you have on the counter or chair.

#3 Internal Marketing to Your Most Loyal Patients 

Now that you have had time to play around with some of the designs in Canva and mount a few new TVs in your treatment rooms, we can move on to the fun stuff. Add bio’s from your team members to connect with patients on a higher level. The more they know you, the more they trust you. Don’t try to sell anything here, just be authentic and have some fun. 

Above is an example of an office using photos on a 55-60” monitor to show patients the potential results they can get from teeth whitening. This graphic is easy to create with the CANVA app. Have your team sign up for the free account today. Be sure to share your dental marketing graphics with us!

The Key to Modern Day Root Canals

essentials to modern day root canals

The Key to Modern Day Root Canals

The modern dental patient expects their dental care provider to use the latest technology, deliver better outcomes, and be willing to schedule procedures at the convenience of the patient. Dental care providers are scrambling to improve the way they deliver their services in order to meet these expectations of their patients. This article discusses five essentials that can help to deliver modern-day root canals that meet all the expectations of patients.

XTG Handheld X-Ray

If you’ve used Digital Doc’s XTG Handheld X-ray, you’ll wonder how you managed to perform root canals in the past. This Xray2go allows you to remain in the operatory and take radiographic images of your patient while they are in the dental chair. Root canals are one of the procedures that patients don’t look forward to undergoing, but with this tool, you can increase the convenience factor for your patients because they don’t have to be shuffled to the radiology room and then back to complete their treatment.

The handheld x-ray also gives you high-quality images that can help you to deliver treatment outcomes that can only be dreamed about by those using the traditional x-ray machines.

An IRIS Intraoral Camera

While endodontists largely treat patients who have been referred by dentists, the records sent along with the referral may not provide an accurate depiction of the patient’s tooth before the root canal treatment is undertaken.

It is therefore helpful for you to have an intraoral camera like the IRIS USB 2.0 Chair Dental Camera so that you can take high-quality images to complement what has been captured by the XTG Handheld X-Ray.

Effective Communication

It is one thing to communicate, and it is another thing to communicate effectively. For example, you wouldn’t use the same diction that you use when communicating with a referring dentist to talk to a patient, would you?

It is important for you to communicate effectively with all parties, such as your patients, the specialists and referring dentists if you want to deliver better root canals.

Luckily, modern digital dentistry equipment like the LUM and XTG Handheld X-Ray make it possible for all parties to be on the same page. For instance, you can take images with your IRIS Intraoral camera and show the patient what exactly you are going to fix during the root canal treatment. The same images can be used if you need to communicate with referring dentists so that everyone is kept in the loop during each stage of the treatment.

Knowledgeable Staff

Another important factor for endodontists who wish to perform modern-day root canals that meet all the expectations of patients is knowledgeable staff. Your staff should be conversant with the workings of all your modern equipment, such as the Xray2go. They should also be familiar with how that equipment delivers outstanding outcomes for your patients.

Such mastery can only happen if you, the endodontist, set the example and arrange to have your staff trained each time you introduce new technology or methods of delivering patient care. Your staff will then convey their expertise to the patients, and the net result will be superior root canal outcomes when compared to other offices.

Once you have all the essential components above in place, there will be nothing standing in the way of delivering modern root canal treatments. As you may know, word of mouth spreads fast, so your practice will grow as a result of all the positive reviews made by any patient who undergoes root canal therapy at your office.

Traditional Dental Impressions vs. Digital Dental Impressions

Digital Doc - Traditional Dental Impressions vs. Digital Dental Impressions

Traditional Dental Impressions vs. Digital Dental Impressions

If you would like to provide dental restorations services, such as dental crowns, in your office then you’ll need to take dental impressions first. You can offer your patients traditional dental impressions or you can use digital dental impressions. This article discusses the two types of dental impressions you can provide in your office.

Traditional Dental Impressions

Traditional dental impressions are obtained by placing dental putty in the mouth of your patient. This putty hardens slowly. Your patient will bite down on that so dental impressions are left in the substance. 

Thereafter, a lengthy process of preparing the mold for the restorations begins and sometimes, retaking the dental impressions may be required to fix any errors made during the previous session.

There is a nearly universal dislike of this traditional dental impression capture method by both dental care professionals and patients alike because the putty triggers the gag reflex in patients and makes for unpleasant dental visits.

Additionally, traditional dental impressions are time-consuming for the patient and for dentists. In addition, you may have to repeat all these steps if the restoration does not form correctly for your patient. 

All these issues prompted a better way to get dental impressions, and digital dental impressions were brought to the market by Digital Doc and a few other manufacturers.

Digital Dental Impressions

Digital dental impressions are taken by the use of an intraoral scanner like the Heron IOS Intraoral Scanner. This scanner captures images of all the intricacies of your dentition and creates 3D images of your dental structures so that a restoration can be fabricated. Digital dental impressions have a number of advantages over the traditional way of getting dental impressions.

First, less time is required to take the impressions simply because dentists can move the Heron Intraoral Scanner within the mouth and in a minute or so the required impressions are secured. This is unlike the traditional dental impressions that require you to wait for a long time before the putty sets so your patient can bite into it.

Secondly, your patient will have a more enjoyable dental visit since they will not have to spend a lot of time with unpleasant-tasting substances in their mouth. Digital impressions eliminate all that and the process is completed quickly, as already mentioned earlier.

Additionally, the digital dental impressions obtained are accurate and hardly ever require a retake since the images captured are sent directly to the fabricator so that the restorations made conform to the structures in your mouth. The chance of human error during the capture of the images or the fabrication of the restorations is reduced since everything is done digitally.

Furthermore, you will be pleased to learn that digital dental impressions are eco-friendly if you are concerned about the environmental footprint of everything that affects you. Digital dental impression technology saves the energy that would have been used to store the materials used to get the impressions. Numerous materials, such as dental impression trays, are also not needed when taking digital dental impressions.

As you can see from the discussion above, digital dental impressions have so many advantages over traditional dental impressions. If you’d like to acquire Digital Doc products like the Heron IOS Intraoral Scanner in your office and provide excellent services to your patients, contact Digital Doc today for a consultation!

 

Best Intraoral Camera 2018

Lum Intraoral Camera

IRIS Intraoral Camera Wins 2018 Product Award

Dental Advisor submitted the IRIS Intraoral Camera to nine dentistry consultants and asked them to subject the camera to a clinical evaluation over a period of four months. Their verdict? IRIS was given a 96 percent clinical rating overall by that team of consultants. Read on and learn about this camera and what that 2018 evaluation entailed.

Overview of the IRIS Intraoral Dental Camera

The IRIS intraoral camera is a user-friendly dental camera which has a five-point focus wheel. A dentist can use this focus wheel to determine how large or how small the area captured in the image should be. Eight positions are available for the user to hone in on the type of image to be captured, such as clear images of the arch, entire smile, the full face and so many other areas of interest.

The IRIS intraoral camera comes with a cable which is 15-feet long so that the user isn’t constrained when moving about to capture a variety of images when a patient is in the operatory.

The camera comes with two capture buttons to suit operators who are either left-handed or right-handed. This has the added benefit of easing the capture of images even when the camera is being turned around in the mouth of the patient.

Sony’s hi-resolution CCD and eight-point LED lighting makes the camera capture clear and sharp images with true colors.

The IRIS intraoral camera requires 1GB RAM, a 2.0 USB interface and at least 2.0 GHz as its computer system requirements. IRIS now makes a version for MAC computers as well. The camera is charged via the USB port on any PC.

Other Reasons why more Dentist’s Choose IRIS 

HD intraoral camera

  • High Definition 720p resolution
  • Motion activated auto On/Off
  • 8-point true white LED array
  • One-piece slim design soft tip
  • Dual capture buttons for left or right hand use
  • One-touch 5-position electronic focus for a macro to infinite viewing with OSD
  • High performance impact and chemical resistant seamless body
  • USB 3.0 connector that fits standard delivery units

 

What the Consultants Said

The Stainless Steel Wand. The consultants agreed that the sleek, stainless steel wand is ideal for a clinical setting since this material is easy to maintain at the high standards of hygiene expected in a hospital setting. The stainless steel can also stand up to the harshness of some of the cleaning products commonly used in dental offices and hospitals. This is unlike plastic wands that soon wear due to the impact of the cleaning products typically used in a dental office or hospital setting.

Camera Software. IRIS also received kudos because the software upon which it operates was found to be easy to integrate into most of the commonly used patient management systems in dental offices.

The Lens. The 90° lens makes positioning the camera to capture images easy and intuitive. The images captured will, therefore, be sharp and clear due to the natural orientation of the lens.

The Barrier Sheath. Not many cameras can work satisfactorily when a barrier sheath is in place. Some models don’t even allow a barrier sheath to be installed. The IRIS intraoral camera is one of those few dental cameras whose image quality isn’t affected even with a barrier sheath in place.

The Lighting. The LED lights were found to be more than adequate to illuminate the field as images are taken. Those lights could also be turned off as a user is capturing images that have been backlit by x-rays.

The Consultants’ Conclusions

11% of the consultants who evaluated the IRIS Intraoral Camera said that it was similar to other intraoral cameras available. However, the majority of the consultants were of the view that the IRIS intraoral camera was superior to the other products on the market. All the consultants were in agreement that they would recommend the IRIS Intraoral Camera to any dental practice which needed equipment. They also recommended that dental practices using the IRIS camera should install a cable kit in all the operatories where they expect to use the IRIS intraoral camera so that moving the camera from one operatory to another is seamless. All in all, Dental Advisor relied on the report of the consultants to award IRIS Intraoral Camera the 2018 Product Award.