Many of our elderly patients still remember how their dentists used various mirror tools and bright lights to peek inside their mouths.
That’s still how many professional oral health care experts do it. But things are changing with the advent of intra oral cameras. These cameras were first used in the early 1990s, so they’re not exactly new anymore. Now they’re a lot more common, so it shouldn’t be surprising that a dental office like ours would use them too.
An intra-oral camera resembles the traditional mirror-pens used in dental offices. But this time, we don’t have to rely on our naked eyes to see the most inaccessible areas in the mouth. Instead, we have this pen-like device with a camera at the tip, so that we can then take pictures of what’s going in deep inside your mouth.
The camera is usually connected to our computer, and thus we all can see what’s inside your mouth. You can see for yourself how much damage your teeth have undergone so you can decide better what kind of restoration solution will be the most appropriate. These pictures can then be digitalized, so we can save it and send to other doctors, or have it enlarged so we can examine it better.
With this device, it’s possible to detect potential dental problems even earlier than before. It also helps you and your doctors to pick the best solution for the problem. You’re also able to appreciate the extent of the problem, and you can use the image for your insurance claims.
It won’t be long when every dental office in the world will use an intra-oral camera. However, today not every dental office uses them, but we certainly do.