Dental Camera

Sharing questions taken from Dr. Rubin’s “Ask the Dentist” Home News column.

Q: I recently moved and my new dentist does not have the neat little camera that my old dentist had that showed the inside of my mouth on a little color screen. Should I be concerned that he is not up to speed with the latest dental advances?

Dr. Rubin: The piece of equipment that you’re referring to is called an intra-oral camera (IOC). It is a fiber-optic lit camera that shows a 200-times magnified live image of your teeth and is about the size of a nickel. the benefit to the patient is that it can detect dental problems much earlier, before they become painful, which usually results in a more costly treatment.

In my office, I use the IOC during the new patient exam so each patient is able to see exactly what I see. Then the images are printed so that we can discuss the treatment plan and refer back to the photos if necessary. To be honest, I cannot imagine a dental office in today’s world operating without this piece of equipment. Dentists are able to see the smallest details thanks to the IOC, which results in fantastic dentistry.