Cameras boost case acceptance

Intraoral cameras have become something of a game changer in progressive dental practices, offering far more than a convenient diagnostic aid.

Increasingly, intraoral cameras like the Sopro 717 and high-end SoproLIFE and SoproCARE diagnostic cameras with built-in caries detection and periodontic functions, are providing added value in terms of patient communication, case acceptance and patient retention.

A-dec Product Marketing Manager, Shal Hafiz says more and more patients are becoming involved in their treatment planning and are self-diagnosing both aesthetic and functional flaws.

Intraoral cameras help to demonstrate treatment value visually by communicating information to the patient in real time through visuals rather than words. This makes the practitioner's job much easier, overcomes miscommunication and greatly boosts case acceptance, ongoing treatment and the patient's trust.

Mr Hafiz says there is a strong argument that cameras should be introduced into all consultations to aid diagnosis, provide a medico-legal patient record and to aid patient education, treatment planning and case acceptance.

He said the popular Sopro 717 has become the workhorse of many practices because of its ease of use, high resolution images and its compatibility with digital workflow.

"This enables live images to be captured at the swipe of a button and then easily saved to the patient record, so that patients' oral health can be studied more closely on a large screen and monitored over time or utilised for future reference."

Mr Hafiz said what is most interesting to hear is the amount of "self-diagnosis" patients do when they see their teeth close-up.

"Patients are opting in for both cosmetic and functional treatments to address anything from cracks and replacing old restorations to ortho and implants. This is not only a great 'practice builder' in terms of return-on-investment, but probably more importantly builds patient trust in their practitioner. There is simply nothing like 'seeing it with their own eyes' to buy into the recommended treatment plan," Mr Hafiz said.

A-dec is making the choice of intraoral camera easy for practitioners with a range of Acteon's leading Sopro intraoral cameras and diagnostic aids which integrate easily into the A-dec delivery system. This allows images to be displayed on a video monitor in real time, as well as captured for further diagnosis and patient consultation. One of the most popular cameras, the Sopro 717, provides up to 115x magnification, helping locate problems that are not easily visible to the naked eye or even when using loupes.

For more in-depth analysis and to support minimally invasive dentistry, A-dec also offers the advanced SoproLIFE (Light Induced Fluorescence Evaluation) caries detection aid with its unique diagnostic and treatment modes. In diagnostic mode, using reflected fluorescent light, SoproLIFE can detect demineralised dentine and carious lesions which may not show up on X-rays or during a physical examination.

In treatment mode, the caries detection function helps the practitioner pinpoint the extent of the caries during excavation of the tooth under magnification, so that only infected tissue is removed.

In this way, the use of SoproLIFE improves the accuracy of both diagnosis and treatment.

SoproCARE also uses fluorescent light to help identify biofilm and early plaque build-up without messy disclosing solutions, which makes it especially useful for hygienists and oral health therapists. It also includes a caries detection function.

Intraoral cameras also aid in early detection of other oral health problems. What might start out as an appointment for a simple clean may reveal early-onset caries, gum disease, cracks and fissures - and even suspicious oral lesions such as mouth cancers - allowing these conditions to be identified early and referred on for further investigation and treatment as needed.

Mr Hafiz said the complete Acteon range of cameras were part of the Sopro Imaging software suite which enabled images to be captured, filed and shared on an open-source database – together with images from Acteon X-ray machines, PSPIX phosphate plate scanners and Sopix or U-SENSE digital sensors.

The Sopro range of cameras and Acteon X-ray units, PSPIX phosphor plate imaging devices and Sopro digital sensors are available from A-dec in Australia.