Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
by Dr Garima Jain, Lillybrook Dental, Kallangur, QLD
The Carestream CS 1200 intraoral camera is a lightweight unit that provides high-quality digital images. It’s a great way to show patients exactly what’s happening in their mouth.
What’s good about it
The clarity of the images is exceptional, making it easy to communicate with patients about their oral health. Prior to owning the camera, I would explain about cavities, cracks and other issues but now I can show them immediately. It helps with understanding and treatment acceptance. The photos can be saved to the patient file with the click of a button.
I use it with every patient. We have a television attached to the ceiling above the chair and the camera is linked to the TV. The patient can just lie there while I explain what they are looking at.
The camera is easy to focus, and all the images are sharp. I can also use it as a video camera to show the patient around their mouth, though it can only record still photos.
The ergonomics of the handpiece are great. It has a small head that’s handy when I’m focusing on a wisdom tooth. As it’s so small, my patients have never exhibited a gag reflex.
It’s a great way to keep visual records and helps in comparing lesions and soft tissue pathologies over a period of time. It also helps to convey information when referring the case to another clinician.
I believe every surgery should have an intraoral camera. All patients react positively when they see what is actually happening with their teeth. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
What’s not so good
It’s a wired unit that’s connected to a computer. I’m always extra careful that I don’t drop it or pull it too hard. Then again, I’ve used wireless equipment and the Bluetooth connection was constantly breaking so maybe it’s not such a bad thing.
