Dental photography: How to benefit from outstanding pictures

The great success of our contributions on the topic of dental photography posted in the spring of this year has inspired us to take up this subject again. With the interview below we are kicking off a new series of blog posts on the topic of dental photography. While previous articles mainly focused on which camera and equipment to choose, the upcoming posts will be packed with tips and tricks for the actual photo shoot. However, before you learn how to create the perfect setting for your plaster models and your patients or for your intraoral shots, the noted dental photography expert Milos Miladinov will explain to you why dental photographs are so important.

Mr Miladinov, why are good dental photographs so essential?

Milos Miladinov: Images influence so many parts of our life. We are surrounded by them on the street, in the media, on our smartphones. The dental world is no exception in this respect. Excellent dental photographs have become an essential tool for sharing information about patient cases, procedures used and challenges that need to be overcome. Dental technicians in particular have repeatedly pointed out to me the importance of good photographic documentation, since they are usually highly visual people.

In addition, dental photography is a powerful marketing tool. Those who do a fine job and are able to document it well have a clear advantage. The good thing is that once you have learnt the tricks of the trade, you only need to invest money once to buy the equipment and accessories required.

Can you describe the benefits of dental photography in even more concrete terms?

Milos Miladinov: On the one hand, there are the patients. They expect you to deliver excellent results.  Dental photographs will help you to present the dental treatment plan to them in a clear way. They will see the actual situation for themselves and will be able to recognize which of their teeth need treatment. By means of intraoral pictures and portraits patients are able follow all the steps of the treatment from the very beginning. Close-up views allow them to study all the parts of their mouth, that is, their teeth, lips, cheeks and chin from close-up. Moreover, they will gain an idea of how the look of their dentition influences their smile, the appearance of their face and their facial symmetry including other details.

And then there's you of course. Dental photography will definitely make your work easier. Whether you're a dental technician or a dentist, you can use the photographs as a basis for designing your patient's smile, which means you are actually able to plan the case in a targeted fashion. And you can effectively document the result. Therefore, you are on the safe side when it comes to delivering a successful result.

Does any other advantage occur to you?

Milos Miladinov: Dental photographs reveal everything, even the minutest detail that might not be discernible with the naked eye. As a result, you may even analyze your own errors without any additional effort. A comprehensive photographic portfolio will help you to improve your work and further develop you skills.

As already stated, if you are in a position to document your daily work with great pictures you have a powerful marketing instrument at your disposal. In which other way could you prove more convincingly that you do excellent work?  A picture is worth a thousand words. 

Are you interested in dental photography?
Download our checklist outlining the appropriate photographic equipment here.

About the interviewee

Milos Miladinov is a dental technician specializing in veneer restorations and anterior dental esthetics. He has been running a dental laboratory in his home country of Romania since 2003. He became a licensed photographer in 2013 and he has been conducting dental photography courses in all parts of the world. Since 2015, his "Ugly Tooth" further education and training centre has been the official partner ICDE of Ivoclar Vivadent in Romania.

Milos Miladinov will be giving a dental photography course in the ICDE of Ivoclar Vivadent in Vienna/Austria from 28 to 30 September 2018.