Digital dental photography for the dental nurse

The introduction of photography in the practice of dentistry has improved the way clinicians diagnose, manage treatment planning and communicate with patients and colleagues.

Clinical photography has proven to be a very useful tool in today's reality of increased litigation and is considered an essential part of record keeping, facilitated by the continuous technological advancement in the field. Moreover, the simplicity of instantly available professional images aids the patient to make informed treatment choices (Table 1).

Applications for digital photography in dentistry

In the past, the photographic images could not be visualised until the film was converted into negatives. Selecting film type, controlling the exposure to light and managing the processing of the film were variables that had to be controlled in order to obtain a good-quality photographic image (Laws, 2001).