Acquire Exceptional Intraoral Photographs

Leonard A. Hess, DDS, on Shofu’s EyeSpecial

Leonard A. Hess, DDS

Photography is a critical component of the modern dental practice. High-quality images are necessary for documentation, treatment planning, patient education, and marketing. Any dental practice that is not frequently utilizing photography is certainly at a competitive disadvantage.

In the past, the only true option for acquiring exceptional intraoral photographs was a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera with a macro lens. The primary advantages of the SLR camera were related to its lighting of the field with a ring flash, depth of focus, and consistent framing. At the time, simple point-and-shoot cameras were not able to reproduce the quality of an SLR camera with a macro lens. For a camera to be deemed high quality, the lighting, focus, and size of the teeth within the field must be consistent from photograph to photograph.

A few years ago, a camera was finally introduced for the dental profession that was compact and lightweight and produced photographs comparable to an SLR camera. The EyeSpecial  by Shofu is not merely a standard camera that the manufacturer tried to retrofit for use in dental applications; it was envisioned from the ground up for the profession and specifically designed to handle the challenges of intraoral photography.

What really makes the EyeSpecial an excellent fit for a dental practice is that it is lightweight, coming in at just over 1 lb. This allows the camera to be easily held and controlled with one hand. This feature is very important for our staff members with smaller hands. In addition, the EyeSpecial has a dual flash for field illumination, and the large touch screen display makes it easy to view your photographs and toggle between features. The EyeSpecial features several modes for image capture, including a standard mode, surgery mode, mirror mode, face mode, low-glare mode, whitening mode, isolate shade mode, and tele-macro mode. The low-glare mode reveals a tremendous amount of detail; the tele-macro mode is excellent for capturing high magnification images of anterior teeth, indirect restorations, and working models; and the isolate shade mode blocks out the soft tissues by turning them gray, facilitating optimal shade matching. When you choose a focal length, the camera performs automatic measurements and provides guidance to the user regarding the optimal distance from the patient for taking the photograph. The EyeSpecial can even be wiped clean with disinfecting wipes without damaging the camera.

More than anything, it is nice to finally have a reliable choice when it comes to high-quality intraoral dental photography. The reception for the EyeSpecial from the profession seems to be quite positive. The camera has won a Cellerant "Best of Class" Technology Award 5 years in a row, and not many products achieve such recognition.

Key Takeaways

1. Produces predictable and consistent photographs for case documentation, diagnosis and treatment planning, patient communication, and dental laboratory collaboration

2. Unlike standard digital cameras used in dental practices, it is ready to use and requires no modifications or routine setting of magnifications

3. Its intuitive one-touch operation makes it user-friendly, and it is also durable yet ultra-lightweight, which allows it to be comfortably held in one hand

4. Features a proprietary FlashMatic system with LED lights around and on both sides of the lens for true-color reproduction

About the Author

Leonard A. Hess, DDS
Senior Faculty
The Dawson Academy
Private Practice
Monroe, North Carolina

Manufacturer Information

Shofu Dental Corporation
shofu.com
800-827-4638