Photography: helping patients to see

Many practices use dental photography to support marketing, advertising and social media, although photography is also a record and is just as important as radiographs.

As we know, using great quality photography enhances the communication of diagnosis and solutions.

Dental photography is used for communication, documentation, marketing and dento-legal risk management. When patients are fully informed and dental photography supports that communication, it directly supports consent. Patients are able to take on board information about their concerns and the solutions for their oral health and make informed decisions.

When dentists contact me in regards to training their team in photography, they always state that they know the importance of photography, particularly in new patient examinations and complex restorative treatments. But the one reason photography is not consistent in their new patient examinations is that they do not have the time in addition to assessing, treatment planning and communicating options. Unfortunately, their cameras then sit in a cupboard collecting dust. There are also occasions where dentists do not have enough time to go through treatment options available to patients at the assessment. Therefore, the patient either receives their treatment plan via the reception team or are sent the plan in the post or via email, leaving the patient to read through their solutions on their own. Dentists who contact me know this is far from ideal and doesn’t tick all the boxes for consent. GDC standard 3.1.3 confirms patients should be given the opportunity to ask questions about their treatment solutions, which the patient cannot do as they are on their own at home reading this information.