Intraoral Cameras

For years the I/O camera was the standard of a high tech new patient exam. Using video capture it was typical for a practitioner to glide the camera over the dental arches and produce a video record of the dentition. With “stop action” any tooth could be examined. A less complex use was to show a specific tooth on a TV screen to a patient noting the problems on an image 30 or more times normal size. This has seemingly been replaced by digital cameras that can take the entire arch in one photo and with high resolution, allows the zoom to one tooth. HOWEVER, a digital camera is impractical in most immediate situations- i.e when you want to take a picture in the middle of a procedure. A common example is finding a fracture while treating a tooth for endodontics. The practitioner wants to take the picture to show the patient why the already started root canal is now going to turn into an extraction. A digital camera requires degloving, getting retractors, mirrors, taking the photo, transferring it to the computer, opening up the software and putting the photo up on the screen.

The intraoral camera can be picked up with the gloved hand, photo taken and in some cases the software opens when the camera is turned on. It is very effective for taking images “on the fly”. Although portability is desirable, if the intraoral camera is not at the operators fingertips it is less likely to be used.

Desirable features when comparing these units are:

Instant on

Easy to disinfect

Software on automatically

Large depth of field- the less focusing, the better

No bulky box to attach to

Simple computer hookup- USB or firewire. (Video capture card is not a standard computer component and alternatives are available.)

Small profile- easy access- fit in handpiece hangar puts it at operators fingertips

Digital Doc

Top of the line image with an integrated system ( Evolution) make this the choice for the discriminating practitioner. Wireless options ( from the control box to the computer) allow portability and simple installation

Air Techniques Acclaim

New sleek USB camera with excellent images and great depth of field

Gendex Accucam- various

New FWT allows connection via firewire- faster and cleaner transmission of images. Optional hangar activates camera and monitor when lifted up.

Schick USB

Good quality lightweight camera with simple USB interface

Dentrix USB

Simple to use camera with USB interface

Suni USB

Easy to use, well lit images with small size and USB interface

Progeny Micro

SciCan Ultimate LED

High quality images with excellent lighting and new ergonomic design.

A-dec

Sopro 575, 595, 717

Camsight Optum

Imagin Newlook

Kavo ERGOcam

Video Dental OraCam

ITC Spectra Vu

Excellent camera with option of camera card capture

RF Einstein

A truly wireless camera, about the size and weight of an electric toothbrush. Easily portable if receivers are in all rooms, but the pricing allows multiple cameras and accessories. Worth another look if you haven’t seen RF products lately

Dental Chair Potato