Clinical Photographs

What equipment do you need?

In order to take clinical photographs, you will need:

• A digital camera with a ring flash and a dedicated macro lens.
• Cheek retractor
• Intraoral mirror
• A solid white wall and background
• A vertically adjustable stool or chair.

There are eight required angles you need to ensure you capture when submitting these clinical photographs. We would need both extraoral and intraoral photographs

Full Face (Not Smiling)

• Frame the patient's face from the top of the head to the middle of the neck, with the camera oriented vertically. 
• The camera distance from the patient is determined by optimum focus at the lens' focal length providing the maximum depth of field.
• Their head should be oriented vertically in a natural and relaxed position. 
• The patient should look straight ahead directly into the camera lens. 
• The patient should have their lips, jaw, and teeth in their natural and relaxed position with their lips together.

Full Face (Smiling)

• Frame the patient's face from the top of the head to the middle of the neck, with the camera oriented vertically.
• The camera distance from the patient is determined by optimum focus at the lens focal length providing the maximum depth of field.
• Their head should be oriented vertically in a natural and relaxed position. 
• The patient should look straight ahead directly into the camera lens. The smile should be natural. Their teeth should be visible.

Profile (Not Smiling)

• The patient's body is turned 90 degrees to the left so that their right shoulder is pointed directly at the camera and only the right side of their face is visible to the camera.
• Their head should be in a natural and relaxed position. 
• The eyes should be horizontal and looking straight ahead. 
• Their hair should be pulled back, behind their ear, if long.

Occlusal view of upper

• Use a retractor to pull the upper lip away from the teeth. Insert the wide end of the arch mirror to capture the arch.
• The patient may tilt their head forward so the photographer can get the camera 90 degrees to the mirror plane. 
• The framing should be square to a vertical line down the midline of the palate. 
• Show the full occlusal surface of the arch. 
• Try to get as little of the retractor in the picture as possible.

Occlusal view of lower

• Use a retractor to pull the lower lip away from the teeth
• Insert the wide end of the arch mirror to capture the full arch.
• The patient may tilt their head backward so the photographer can get the camera 90 degrees to the mirror plane. 
• The framing should be square to a vertical line down the midline of the lower arch. Show the full occlusal surface of the arch. 
• Try to get as little of the retractor in the picture as possible

Occluded buccal view of right lateral

• Have the patient turn their head to their left so the right side of their face is towards the photographer.
• Use one cheek retractor to pull the right lip away from the teeth and gums, so the right central to the last erupted molar is visible (if possible).
• The camera should be horizontal and pointed at a perpendicular angle to the buccal surface of the teeth with the occlusal plane level in the center of the frame.
• If the lips can't be retracted far enough, with the help of another person or the patient, position a buccal mirror to capture the mesial of the second molars (if erupted),then repeat the previous step.
• Crop the frame so there's a minimum of distracting retractors and lips.

Occluded buccal view of left lateral

• Have the patient turn their head to their right so the left side of their face is towards the photographer.
• Use one cheek retractor to pull the right lip away from the teeth and gums, so the right central to the last erupted molar is visible (if possible).
• The camera should be horizontal and pointed at a perpendicular angle to the buccal surface of the teeth with the occlusal plane level in the center of the frame.
• If the lips can't be retracted far enough, with the help of another person or the patient, position a buccal mirror to capture the mesial of the second molars (if erupted),then repeat the previous step.
• Crop the frame so there's a minimum of distracting retractors and lips.

Occluded anterior view

• Use cheek retractors to pull lips away from the teeth and gums.
• The lips and cheek retractors should not obscure any of the teeth.
• The camera should be horizontal, with the occlusal plane level in the center of the frame.
• The buccal corridors (the area between the buccal teeth and the inside of the cheek) should be well-lit and visible.
• Proper depth of field (determined by the lens) will provide focus from the central incisors to the first molars; the operator should focus on the canines/first premolars.
• The upper and lower gingival sulcus should be visible.