Let's Be Honest...

At one of my recent presentations, I showed how one could make a class II end-on relationship look like a class I by manipulating the camera angle. It's not technically hard to understand and I don't think it's something that most dentists and orthodontists do on purpose, but the results speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, most orthodontists weren't given a great education about capturing exceptional clinical images and this weakness is translated into their assistants' skill.  So, when the pictures are taken, they naturally try their best to get all of the teeth in the arch. As a result, without exceptional use of the retractors and mirrors, the image needs to be captured from the front. What one gets is a misrepresentation of the Angle's classification, and it's an misrepresentation.

Note that I am not calling anyone a liar or a cheat. Instead, I am merely pointing out that an image taken from the front shows an untruthful representation of the patient's classification.

Look at the differences in the following two images:

The first one shows the patient's "real" occlusion. The lines drawn down the cuspid and mesial buccal cusp of the first molar show that the patient is essentially in a class II end-on relationship.

But, if the image is taken from the mesial (as we see most of the time), the patient magically becomes a class I relationship. Same patient. Same camera, mirror and retractors. Same moment in time.

How do we correct this problem?

The first thing we need to do is understand how to properly evaluate our images. The easiest way to do that is to figure out what we're looking at. In a lateral arch image, the bicuspids and molars should be parallel to our camera (or 90 degrees to the lens, depending on the way you see it). Look at the following image and notice that the yellow shaded area is directly facing the camera. 

The fact that I'm looking straight at the molars and bicuspids tells me that the image is an accurate representation of the arch, as if I was looking straight on at an articulator. However, when it's misrepresented, one will most commonly be looking straight on at the cuspid and lateral, as in the following picture.

Notice how the molars and bicuspids are "trailing away" in the image. That's a sure sign that the Angle's classification isn't being properly shown. 

So, how does one avoid this problem?

First, learn how to properly use mirrors and retractors. I know, it's easier said than done. There's a reason I traveled 120,000 miles a year teaching clinical photography. Most schools don't teach it enough or properly. There are also a ton of Youtube videos that simply show awful techniques with a ton of mistakes that I've tried to undo at a lot of offices. Taking great images should be really easy and I've got some simple suggestions:

(Note: I am recommending products from a company I own. While I developed these products as a result of working with tens of thousands of dentists in hands on presentations, if you have mirrors and retractors that are giving you exceptional images, then stay with them. I offer the following suggestions only because when I teach clinical photography, everyone asks me which mirrors and retractors I use and how they can be trained in clinical photography.)

             1. Use the right mirrors. Rhodium coated has been the standard for decades and while other coatings have come along, none has displaced rhodium. There's a reason that companies give away stainless steel mirrors for free when you buy a camera. They're really low quality and also scratch really easily. If you invest in a good set of rhodium mirrors, they'll last you for years. HERE is a set I've produced.

              2. Use the right retractors.  Don't try and do direct shots. If you don't involve a mirror, you'll never get exceptional images on a consistent basis. You'll also need certain sizes for certain shots (like the lateral and occlusal images) so don't just buy a set of retractors hoping they'll fit all instances. The set I've created HERE has all of the sizes you'll ever need.

              3. Learn how to use the mirrors and retractors. Yes, I know it sounds self serving, but until I can find a better option, I would suggest the DVD that I made which essentially follows me in clinic while taking a full set of images using mirrors and retractors, Yes, it's 10 years old, but I can promise you that if you use it, and have your assistants use it, their images will look awesome. You can buy it HERE.

If you but the mirrors and retractors from my site, the DVD will show you how to use them. Trust me when I tell you that overhead will keep me from getting rich off of mirrors and retractors, but until I can find a company making the shapes and sizes I've created, I'll keep recommending them.

Last, but not least, learn how to grade your images and make sure that you do so periodically. My previous post on how to evaluate images can be found HERE.

Don't get frustrated with clinical photography. It really is very easy to get great images and all you need to do is take the time to learn. Proper training and the right mirrors and retractors, along with proper practice will give you images like you never thought you could capture.

Wishing you an amazing day,

Glenn

If you want to come to learn more about an amazing business meeting for orthodontists, simply visit OP2018.com . We’ve got a world-class lineup of speakers, amazing food and an ambiance that will make you want to come back year after year. You can always email me at Glenn@OrthopreneursRD.com or message me on Facebook. I’m here to help.

The 18" ring light that's worth every penny (less than $75)...

Hi everyone.

So, you want awesome postoperative images to show off on social media. Do you want a picture of a patient up against a wall in your office? Maybe you want a white background from a white light box (ugh). Why not put your best foot forward and get a portrait studio in your office? Well, that takes a lot of space and money. Well, there is a solution....

I LOVE photography and have been lecturing internationally on the subject for over 15 years. I love all types of photography, but I'm not willing to spend the time, money or space to set up a studio in my office. Especially not since I came across the world of 18" ring lights.

These things are great. All they are is an 18" fluorescent light in a plastic housing. You plug them in, hold them in front of the patient and shoot through the opening. The result is a beautiful, quick image that you can post on social media and the look is unique, so your images will stand out.

This is just one example of an 18" ring light. It's so easy to use and set up.

My first ever shot with this light a few years ago. You can get amazing  portraits with soft, eve lighting with zero hassle. BTW-the wall isn't black, but depending on how close or far you are, your lighting can change the color of the background. Easy Peezy.

You can find them on Amazon for more money, so just go to eBay where you'll find tons of them.

Of course, it's the intraoral images where I get my best case acceptance and you should learn how to do those exceptionally well, but for quick posts of gorgeous patient faces and to make your patients look their best, go get yourself a ring light.

I promise, they're worth the $75.

Have a great day!

Glenn

Are New Fog Free Mirrors Worth It?

There's absolutely no reason to by these fancy gizmos to keep a mirror from fogging when you have many cheap and easy options available to do the same thing.

If you're like me, you probably saw this ad for the new "fog free mirrors" from Adenta and was interested if they made sense. Hopefully you remember the P.T. Barnum quote: "There's a sucker born every minute."

When using mirrors, there are a number of ways to keep them from fogging. The easiest and quickest is to use hot tap water. If you run your mirrors under the running hot water for just 10 seconds (and even better if you clean them with soap while doing it) you'll probably get 5 minutes of fog free use.

While it's a cool idea, there's absolutely no reason to have to spend the extra money on a fan to blow air on your mirror.

Instead, simply invest in our amazing rhodium coated mirrors with customized designs to make your life easier or perhaps our DVDs which will help you and your team take exceptional images in no time.

Click HERE to learn more.

Best wishes,
Glenn

Stop Thinking Like A Clinician When It Comes To Images

Ever feel like you're searching for a good reason to take exceptional images?

Having taught clinical photography and techniques for better internal marketing and increased patient engagement for 20 years, I've had to learn a lot about those subjects. That's why I chuckle a little bit whenever the topic of "why take clinical images" is brought up in a social media group. The answers I see are interesting and usually include: "to help with documentation", "to show your objective", "to show/give patients before and afters", "for diagnosis" and so on. Those are all excellent reasons, but the main reason most people come to my courses, the primary thing that finally gets them to introduce a strong clinical photography protocol is simply put, to make more money from their practices.

There, I said it. I brought up the topic of making more money. For some of you, it makes perfect sense and for others, money and dentistry shouldn't be said in the same sentence. After all, we are professionals, and we have a moral and ethical code to do what's in our patients' best interests. Money shouldn't play a role in our decision making process. Right? Well, not really.

Would you agree that if every patient understood their current dental/orthodontic condition, I mean REALLY understood it, they would be far more likely to accept the best treatment alternative to fix it? If they did understand it at the highest level, and your case acceptance rate went up, wouldn't you make more money?

Then why aren't you doing that?!?!?!

Sure, you may be sending home some before and after images or showing prospective patients your finished cases. Maybe you have an online gallery on your website or finished smiles adorn your office walls. That's all good but very few, and I mean VERY few clinicians are thinking like non-clinicians...and thinking like a non-clinician is the best way to communicate with your patients.

I want you to imagine an ideal scenario: You come into the room, show a patient everything that's going on with the case, spend just a couple of minutes talking and then you leave the room and a highly qualified treatment coordinator explains everything and "sells" the case. Sounds similar to what you may be doing? Every dentist should be at least doing that much, but it's woefully inadequate and filled with areas where the process can fail.

So, how about we step it up a bit and instead of your treatment coordinator explaining it, the patient actually explains it to themselves? Huh???? How does that happen, you ask? Easy.

The process is called "digital co-diagnosis" and I first wrote about it in a 3 part series in Dental Economics back in 2007. It's like digital case presentation, with one big difference: the patient diagnoses the case and the words come out of their mouth, not yours. Sounds odd, right? Here's how it works: I could tell you about a cavity, show you a picture and then tell you how to fix it, or using digital co-diagnosis, I could show you a high quality image and lead you down a path to where YOU tell me that you need a filling. Let me give you an example.

In orthodontics, we talk about bite related problems all day long. I could show you an image of your bite (class II end on) and then describe all the reasons why you should be class I.  I could talk about the TMJ, occlusion, wear, blah, blah, blah... (stuff that's important to us clinicians).  I could even show you a picture of a class I and show you the differences, hoping that I've made a good connection with you and that you'll start treatment, all the time thinking like a clinician, not a salesman. (Note: If I want you to buy what I'm selling, I better be thinking like a salesman. Oh, BTW, salesman does not mean an unethical salesman. Sales and ethics have nothing to do with one another but that's a different topic.)

Now imagine that I show you some images and don't say a word. I let you see everything that I'm looking at while I survey the dental landscape. Just for 30 seconds or so, but long enough for you to get a glimpse of your teeth like you never have before. Then, I ask you (and I am thoroughly shortening the process for right now) what differences you see between the image of a perfect bite that I have on the wall right next to the monitor, versus what you see on the screen. Perhaps I nudge you a bit with questions like: "Do your teeth come together like gears [showing the picture on the wall of a treated class I as I say it] or do they hit more 'point to point' like rocks hitting against one another?", "Which seems healthier with less long term wear; the gears or rocks hitting one another?" followed by "How would you classify your bite; gears or points hitting one another?" then "Would you like to talk about how to get your teeth to hit like the ones in the picture on the wall?"

I know the the differences may seem subtle, but there is a massive difference in patient engagement and case acceptance when a patient actually answers the aforementioned questions with answers like "No, they don't come together like gears. They look like points against points and it seems like it's less healthy than gears coming together. You mean there's a way to fix that? Sure, I'd love to talk about it." This is what I hear every day. Sure it takes a lot of practice and training to get the verbal skills right, but you'll spend less time with patients and get way more engagement and personal responsibility from the patients because they now understand, and this next thing is important, that it's THEIR problem and you're just their to help them solve it with treatment options. I've done this for two decades and have taught it for nearly as long and the changes in practices when they embrace this is monumental. So, where does clinical photography come in?

Having a well composed class I image on the wall next to your screen
 is a great way for patients to better recognize the need for treatment.

If you're asking people to spot things themselves and walk them down the path of self diagnosis quickly and effectively, one needs to have exceptional (not just decent) images. The patient needs to diagnose it themselves, so they need to see what's going on. You can even screen record the whole process with audio and send it home with the patient or parent if they need it for any reason. A better level of informed consent and understanding doesn't exist.

Don't worry, though. Exceptional images are one of the easiest things to learn, when taught properly. It just takes a ton of practice. If you put the same amount of time into training your team how to get images as you did other things you've delegated (hopefully a lot with good written policies and systems), you'll be awesome.

Sure, there are lots of good reasons to take clinical images, but once I started using digital co-diagnosis, I stopped sending home images, I stopped worrying about whether patients saw a stain or crack before treatment and I watched my case acceptance go up. More importantly, my patients commonly asked me (even more now that I'm an orthodontist and may be their 3rd opinion) "why has nobody else shown me this before?" I have no doubt that the other offices showed images and gave treatment options, but once you make the shift to exceptional images and digital co-diagnosis, you'll stop looking for other ways to communicate with you patients and spend more time on effective internal marketing, which I'll save for another time. ;)

Remember, think like a clinician when you diagnose, but NOT when you present options.

All the best, and remember, you can always reach me at doc@KriegerOrthodontics.com.

Wishing you an amazing, joyous and profitable 2017!!!

Increase Your Case Acceptance NOW!

In today's world, dentists are looking for any way to stand out from their "competition". While I genuinely believe that we do not compete against one another, but rather against things like vacations, tuition, car payment and the like, we DO need a way to make ourselves stand out.

THERE IS AN EASY ANSWER!

There are expensive ways, like buying a yogurt machine for your reception area (note: NOT a waiting room) or maybe having a spa in the back of your office, but I would contend that the best way to stand out is to be the best in your community. More importantly, your patients need a palpable way of knowing that they are in the best office in town when they're sitting in your chair.

DON'T YOU WANT PATIENTS TO KNOW YOU'RE THE BEST AND TO BUY YOUR SERVICES WITHOUT HAVING TO SELL?!?!

Digital case presentation is a cool way of presenting care, but one needs pictures to show patients, in exquisite detail, conditions that need attention. If you show a blurry, wet, out of focus image, they can't see a thing. But, if you show a clear, beautiful image, even the greatest detail can be found.

Look at the image below. Show it to a patient and don't say a word. They'll instantly see the large, failing amalgams, the cracks, undermining decay, etc. They will actually ask YOU how quickly they can fix it. How do I know? I've seen it with hundreds of patients.

BUT...NONE OF THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT EXCEPTIONAL IMAGES

So, how does one learn how to get exceptional images? It's easy. Just click HERE to be taken to my website, buy the starter set and be off and running the day you get the set. It will quite possibly be the best return on investment you'll ever get. Use code webtg16 and get 15% off while supplies last.

Make 2017 you best year ever and help your patients get to the highest level of health.

If you have any questions, just ask. 

Best wishes,

Glenn

15% off our revolutionary DVD's, mirrors and starter kits while supplies last.

Everyone asks me how they can get great images. I have an answer for you and your images could be better by next week. Seriously. Why not make 2017 your best year ever? Just use the code "WebTG16" for 15% off of our DVD's, mirrors and starter kits.

As you already know, the keys to getting exceptional images are: Exceptional mirror and retractor use. If you do that right, you can get images like the one below from a cell phone. I'm 100% serious.

Learn our mirror and retractor techniques and iPhone images like this are a breeze.

Our DVD's, mirrors and starter kit will have you shooting better images the day after watching our techniques. Order the starter kit and you'll have everything you need to teach your team members how to get better images for increased case acceptance and awesome documentation.

With 15% while supplies last, what are you waiting for? We're here to help you!

Best,

Glenn

Hands on Clinical Dental Photography Training

Hi Everyone!

As I've traveled around the world teaching clinical photography, I've had a lot of dentists ask me if I do personal consulting on how to get great images and how to use them for internal and external digital marketing to grow practices. The answer is: YES.

I've had groups come to my office in Dallas for training of the entire team with or without the doctor.

If you want to learn more about how I can personally help you and/or your team get spectacular clinical photographs and teach you how to grow your practice and increase case acceptance, just email me at Glenn@Kriegercontinuum.com and I can give you more details.

All the best,
Glenn

The right mirrors for dental photography

If you're like me, you've been getting emails for a new fog free mirror system that gently blows air over the mirror and even has a light to make it easier to get good images. Some even have rubber handles on the ends to get a better grip.

Is this a great idea, or is it simply a waste of money?

Anyone who has spent even a bit of time with me knows that my goal is to get exceptionally good images with as little cost as quickly as possible. So, in theory, I am against any "gizmos or gadgets" that can be circumvented with good technique.

I'm a huge fan of two things: Simplicity and functionality. Every mirror should have 4 working ends (2 on each side and the same when flipped over) and should be designed in shape so as to assist you in getting amazing images.

If someone knows how to use retractors and mirrors, and how to set up their flash and use f-stops, they'll get awesome lighting every time, without question. I've never once ever used any additional tools to get more light and with good retraction, I can even get a great shot using just the flash on my iPhone.

This image was taken with one of my occlusal mirrors and my iPhone. No need for fancy gizmos when you have good retraction and mirror use. Learn good technique and great images come fast.

In terms of fogging, all you need to do is run your mirror under hot faucet water for 5 seconds and you'll have a fog-free mirror for the next 5 minutes. Yes, it's really that easy. I show that as just one of the many tricks on my DVDs for clinical photography.

In short, rather than spend the money on a tool that gets around the issue of poor lighting by adding unnecessary light, consider learning how to get great retraction and use the ambient light from the room to get extraordinary images every time.

If you and your team are ready to take the next step towards getting exceptional images every time, consider our starter kit and watch your clinical photography take off without any fancy rubber handles, lights or mirror fans.

The starter kit has everything you need to get started on your way to exceptional images.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

Let's Show Great Images To Our Patients

I just typed in "Cosmetic Dentist" and visited a bunch of websites that popped up. I did what many patients might do and went to the "smile gallery" to see their work. It became clear to me that most were uninspiring and mostly very clinical. I can't imagine that any patient would get too excited about seeing images of a patient shot while they were in the clinic chair or against the wall of the operatory or a collage of clinical shots. I'm not posting most of the images I saw because it wouldn't be fair to show a patient's face, but suffice it to say that most of the images came up far short of what I would show on a website if I chose to show images on my website.

Do you really think that a patient will see this and say "Wow! This is the right dentist for me?".  Seems more appropriate for a board certification presentation.

Even when just a smile was shown, most sites of the "Best Cosmetic Dentists" (at least according to Dr. Google) showed images taken from incorrect angles.

If we're going to show off our work, let's at least shoot the two images from the same angle.

If we're going to show off our work to the general public, let's get AMAZING images that inspire folks. Honest, simple images that don't require patients having to go to a professional photographer (yes, most future patients can see through that marketing technique).

Click HERE to see a post I once did on how to get amazing portraits to grow your practice.

We all strive to do the best dentistry we can and we should also strive to have our photography match our outcomes.

All the best,
Glenn

Why the Nikkor 85mm lens is a great (lighter and way less expensive) substitute for the traditional 105mm

I originally wrote this post almost two years ago, but I get the question so often that it seems appropriate to repost it.

It kills me every time a dentist writes to me something like: "I've got this great camera and lens setup that I got handed down from my brother when he got a better camera, but I can't get good images. Can you help me use it better?"  More often than not, they have a zoom lens such as an 18-200mm or 55-300mm or something like that. NONE, I repeat NONE of those lenses are appropriate for dentistry. They are not macro lenses, which means that you can never use them up close to the subject. Almost all dental photography (with the exception of portraits) uses macro photography. If you don't use a macro lens, your images will be out of focus.

This Canon 17-85mm lens is amazing to use, but the "-" between the 17 and 85 signifies it's a zoom lens and NOT appropriate for dental use.

All lenses for dentistry are macro, except Nikkor lenses (Nikon's subsidiary that makes lenses for Nikon) which call them "Micro". 

The brand you choose is important for the camera you use. For instance, if you use a Canon body, use a Canon (or Tamron or Sigma) lens. If you use Nikon, you can use a Nikkor (or Tamron or Sigma) lens.  In this post, I'm not going to get into the idea of why I'm not a big fan of using "off brands" of lenses. Buy all from the same brand, so that when something goes wrong, there's no finger pointing by one company to another. Hand it in to the repair center and let them sort it out. It's worth the extra few dollars you'll pay on the equipment.  However, here I am going to briefly discuss the type of lens you should use.

Basically, with Nikkor and Canon, there are only a few choices. For Nikkor, you can go with the 85mm or the 105mm. For Canon, you can choose the 60mm or the 100mm (the less expensive of the two 100mm lenses Canon makes is fine). The 60 mm lens is simply too tough to use in dentistry. The lower the number the closer you need to be to the subject and with a 60mm lens, for a shot of just the front teeth, you'll literally be 3 inches from the patient. Not good. The flash will never be in a position to work well. So, for Canon, you've got only one choice, the 100mm lens.

This Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM is a great choice for Canon users. DON'T buy the more expense $1050.00 100mm Canon lens. You don't need it.

For Nikon, the 105 is an amazing lens, but at almost $1000 I simply cannot recommend it over the way smaller and way lighter  85mm lens , which costs half the price. In case you're wondering, photo quality doesn't suffer at all. I've shot both and can't tell the difference in ANY use of the image.

This AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85mm f/3.5G ED VR is an amazing lens at a great price for Nikon users.

Shot comparison of 85 vs 105mm Nikkor Macros. I can't see a difference and for an extra $500 I don't see the value.

One thing of note is that the lower the number (85mm vs 105mm) the closer to the subject you need to be to capture the same composition. So, you will need to be a little closer to the patient or, crop your images more when you're working through your digital process. 

Don't fall victim to buying the wrong equipment. As I said, I have DVDs to walk you through the entire process of buying, setting up and using your camera, flash and lens for maximum effectiveness, and minimal problems found HERE.

As always, I'm here for you should you have any questions or problems.

Best Wishes,

Glenn

Have Your Team Shoot Intraoral Images With Their Phone

When I travel around teaching photography and classes, the first question I ALWAYS get is: "Which camera should I buy?" Fair enough question, right? Actually, not really.

As clinicians, we've been trained in all sorts of equipment. We care about the brackets we use, the wire materials, scanners, technology, etc, etc.. Fortunately (or unfortunately for some) the camera you use will have far less of an impact on your images than your understanding of how to properly use mirrors and retractors. I've seen dentists spend upwards of $3000 on a camera setup and not have the foggiest clue about how to retract cheeks, position a patient or which mirror is best.  I've even had people show up to my courses with full camera setups still in the original packaging, hoping that I can show them how to set it up and use it (which I am always happy to do). My point is that it's not about the camera, flash or lens. It's about composition.

There are two components to every image: Lighting and composition. The first is easy to understand. Your image is either too light or too dark. How to get exceptional lighting is more complicated and I've previously discussed the role of lighting and its effect on depth of field on this blog, so I won't touch on it right now. Composition is how the image is set up. Can you see everything you want to see and nothing else?  In short, did you properly use the mirrors and retractors?

Even with this $2500 camera setup, notice that the composition doesn't lend itself to great patient education or case documentation. Truth is, it's really easy to fix.

My contention has always been that well composed images with a cheap camera allow one to capture better images than an expensive camera with poorly composed shots.  If you properly use your retractors, you're getting the lips and cheeks out of the way and light is able to get onto the subject. For instance, here's a shot of a maxillary arch (unedited except for cropping) taken with my OLD iPhone.

Yep, taken with an iPhone 4s, but with proper use of mirrors and retractors and good patient positioning techniques. Sure, the resolution is a little low, but it's a four year old 4s for gosh sakes! Newer cameras would look way better.

Sure, a more expensive camera would have better lighting or depth of field and I'm not advocating that you should use your camera phone for all of your dental images. What I am saying is that if you can get a great shot with your camera phone, without the fancy lighting systems or lenses, it's proof that you're using your mirrors and retractors well. If you're properly retracting the cheeks and tongue and positing your mirror in the right way, you'll allow enough light onto the subject that you'll get a great image with our fancy flash systems. If your image is too dark, it means that you're not retracting properly and you can quickly refine your technique.

Have your team shoot a set of images using their camera phones instead of your normal camera system. It'll make them focus (pun intended) on how to properly use the mirrors and retractors. It's about as pure of a way to shoot as there is and you can't hide anything and together you can objectively grade their images as I discussed HERE. If they can master the camera phone technique, then shooting with any $2000 camera system will be a breeze...if you know how to set it up. But that's another discussion. :)

Wishing you the best,
Glenn

" Which dental camera should I get? "

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, but since my last entry, I still continue to get asked, over and over again, which camera people should buy.

I've covered that topic ad nauseum in other posts here on the blog, but please let me say the following:

If you don't know anything about cameras or what you're looking for, please consider becoming educated first. To simply buy a camera because someone says it's good is pure foolishness and you'll regret it later. Know what you're getting and what each lens means as well as the differences between cameras.

Things like "buffering time" or "FPS" don't play any role whatsoever, so please don't confuse what's important. Additionally, if you don't know how to properly use mirrors or retractors, no camera system on earth can help you.

Please search my 7 years of posts to learn more about lenses, cameras and flashes and consider my starter kit at KriegerContinuum.com.

All the best,
Glenn

Macro means macro....well, almost.

Yea, it's been a while since my last post. I apologize to all of you for taking as long as I have between posts, but I was busy with my orthodontic residency and seeing that I just graduated, I figured I'd get back to posting.

I just wanted to take a moment to explain something that I see as a common error when teaching clinical photography.

If you've ever visited this blog before, you know that I offer a lot of advice and answer many questions about which camera system to buy. Though I repeatedly discuss the idea of buying a macro lens such as 85 or 105mm (Nikkor) or 100mm (Canon), it seems that even that simple advice can be misunderstood.

Examples of Nikkor 105mm (left) and 85mm (right) macro lenses. These lenses are specially designed to allow in-focus images from extremely close distances

A macro lens such as the 85mm Nikkor, is a fixed lens, allowing the user to get focus at incredibly close distances to the subject. It is NOT the same as a lens such as a 18-105mm zoom lens. Sure, the latter lens has 105mm included within it's range, but it is not designed to allow you to get an image in focus from less than a few feet.

All too often, students or friends will tell me about their friend or family member who is a photographer who told them to buy a certain setup, or they got a great deal at a big box store that included a free zoom lens that they hope to use in the office.

This is the Nikkor 18-105mm lens.  It is a normal zoom lens, not designed for macro photography. If you buy it and try it for dentistry, you may get great portraits, but your intraoral images will be out of focus.

Just remember, if you're not using a macro lens (Nikkor calls them "micro") it is the wrong lens for dentistry.  The free lens that comes with the camera can look tempting, but it simply won't give you what you need.

As always, feel free to email me at Glenn@KriegerContinuum.com with any questions.

Best Wishes,
Glenn

Everything You Need To Know About Dental Camera Systems (Well,Almost Everything)

During the 7 years this blog has been up and running, the most popular posts, by far, relate to which camera systems are best for dentistry. I also get a ton of questions on the subject, and since it's been a year since I last wrote about camera systems, I figured that no would be a good time to revisit the subject (and others).

This is what all of your images should look like, and best of all, it should be fun and really quick to capture them.

I want to make it clear right here, that I do not get paid by anyone to sell their camera systems. So, when I recommend a company, it's because I believe in them from the thousand of students and 15 years I've spent teaching clinical photography.

So, let's start by looking at camera price because that's the most common question.

Mistake #1: Don't try to go cheap. It could actually work against you.


The "sweet spot" for digital SLR cameras for dentistry is in the $900-1000 range. There's absolutely no reason to pay $1500-2000 for a dental camera. Remember, we're talking only the camera. Not with the flash and lens. The more you spend, the more "bells and whistles" you're going to be getting and since you should NEVER take your practice camera out of the office for personal use, you'll never be using the extra gadgets that come on a more expensive and bigger/heavier camera.

The biggest mistake I see is people buying cameras without really knowing what to get or why. That's why I made the first DVD. If you think that a $600 camera like the Nikon D5300 will save you tons of money over a more expensive $1000 Nikon D7100, well, you're wrong.

Buying the less expensive D5300 actually doesn't save what you think it will.

How? Well, how do you expect to get photos using your camera. You need a macro flash system. The best system available now is the R1 wireless system from nikon (See post on flashes HERE) which costs about $450. However, if you bought the D5300, which does NOT wirelessly support the R1 flash, you need to buy the R1C1 flash system instead, which DOES wirelessly support the flash, but costs an additional $250. So, in the end, by buying the 5300 instead of the 7100, you'll get poorer images because of a cheaper camera, it'll weigh much more than the 7100 because of the bigger R1 commander unit on top of the camera to wirelessly control the flash and it now has more to break because of the commander module, all because you wanted to save $300 which turned out to actually be a total of about $50 after the R1C1 purchase.

Look for a great, relatively light and compact camera that gives great images and doesn't break the bank.

My recommendations: If you like Nikon for clinical photography (as I do) the D7100 is an amazing camera that will serve you well for the next decade and beyond. If you like Canon, go with the 70D instead of the T5i Rebel and you won't be disappointed. If you do not own a camera yet, or aren't sure of Nikon or Canon, in my humble opinion, the Nikon D7100 is the best camera on the market (at least right now) and beats the Canon 60D for a couple of reasons. Click Comparison and Flash Systems for Canon vs. Nikon  to understand more.

The Nikon D7100 is currently the best valued camera for clinical dental photography-in my humble opinion.

Mistake #2: Don't make a huge investment in a camera system and then not know how to even set it up or how to properly (and easily) use it.

Would you ever buy a piece of dental equipment without knowing how to use it?!?!? Every day, dentists buy a camera and either make the mistake of thinking they'll put it together and "just use it" or worse, hand it off to their assistant expecting that they will somehow channel the energy of the universe and figure out how to get images on their own.

If you've read any of my posts or seen one of my lectures, then you know that the dental camera, when properly used, can change your practice literally overnight.  You can watch your case acceptance go through the ceiling instantly if you shoot a lot of high quality dental images. Emphasis on HIGH QUALITY. This means that your images have no mirrors or retractors in the way, the lighting is perfect and everything is in focus. If you think you're images are already gorgeous, or you're not sure where you rank, please click HERE to learn more about a great way to grade your images.

Learn to properly grade your own images so that you can see where you need to get better.

Leran how to set up and use your camera system and how to properly position mirrors and retractors (the right mirrors and retractors) so that you can get awesome images every time. I've said it many, many times before and I'll say it again here.  Once you learn how to properly use the camera, mirrors and retractors, you'll see how easy (YES, EASY) it is to get great dental images. But you have to learn, and unfortunately, there are very few good resources out there.

Mistake #3: Choose your photography experts carefully. There is A LOT of misinformation out there.

I apologize in advance for the comments that are about to follow. They will seem arrogant, and for those of you who know me personally, you know the respect I have for experts in dentistry. However, there are many out there holding themselves as experts in clinical photography and unfortunately, many of my students have gotten some really bad advice by listening to them. I don't care who you listen to as long as the advice makes sense. I've taught this subject for 15 years, and it wasn't until I was asked to actually teach the clinical photography portion of a class that I was paying to attend that I realized how different (and simpler) my approach to clinical photography was.

I've watched a lot of YouTube videos from "experts" in clinical photography showing the same mistakes that I see students in my classes making. I'm sorry for saying this, but the techniques I've seen from EVERY one of them actually are so wrong and circuitous that I've laughed out loud. Not some, not most, but all. Yep, I said, it. I see people giving absolutely wrong advice on mirror placement, retractor use, patient positioning, assistance. So, you think I'm being a little cavalier in my statements, then consider this first:  As a clinical dentist for 20 years, I want my system of capture to be:
                    Quick-less than 5 minutes for a full set
                    Comfortable-The patient should be 100% comfortable during the process
                    Simple-The words "color temperature" and "white balance" shouldn't be used
                    One person-meaning that the doctor or assistant can shoot without more assistants

...and most importantly (and this is where I see most failures online)...the images should look unimaginably gorgeous EVERY TIME. Period. No excuses.

Take a look at my blog post from 7 years ago HERE. Yep, 7 years ago with an older camera and flash system. Those images took about 2 minutes for all 4. Do you think my patients can see everything I'm trying to point out? Yep. Did I have trouble selling my best care all the time? Nope.

Making my DVD series was neither easy or fun, but I did it because there is simply a huge need to show dentists how to quickly and easily get amazing dental images. Consider purchasing the DVDs  HERE, watch them with your team and you will literally be getting better images immediately afterwards. It will change the way you look at dental photography. Use the code "Thanks15" on checkout and get 15% off everything on the website because you were interested enough to read to this section of the blog.

Mistake #4: Don't expect to use regular mirrors and retractors to get amazing images.

It is so easy to learn how to use mirrors and retractors, but unfortunately, like the myth of the 2x/yr cleaning (which wasn't actually developed by dentists) all traditional mirror and retractor designs seem to have come from a planet where the mouths of patients can actually accommodate them.  On this planet, dentists simply cannot expect to get exceptional images on patients using the "tried and true" shapes and sizes. How do I know? I watched thousands of  students in my hands on courses struggle with their images using the same mirrors and retractors that are being used around the world.

You may not notice it, but this image shows my different mirror and retractor. There are subtle differences in their design, but they do make a huge difference in composition. Of course, if I weren't illustrating the retractor (yes, only one retractor for this shot) and mirror, I would zoom in closer and only the teeth would be in the shot.

Sure, there are patients here and there on whom you can get great images using traditional designs, but they are really the exception, not the rule.

Having trouble with your lateral arch shots or your full occlusals? Ever had a patient not be able to open wide enough to get the full arch? It's partly patient positioning but mostly your mirror and retractors. They're just shaped wrong for most of our difficult shots. That's why I went out of my way to create new shapes and sizes that I perfected by trying them out with my students at my hands on courses. I tried to get them sold through dental supply houses, but nobody was interested (because there simply isn't a lot of money to be made on mirrors or retractors).

Try my mirrors, retractors and DVDs and I can promise you that your images will look far better than you ever imagined possible.

Conclusion: Buy the right camera for your practice, make an investment in a proper set of mirrors and retractors and learn how to use your camera in the simplest and easiest way possible. I know that it sounds funny to even have to say those things, but most dentists are either using the wrong setup or don't really know how to use the right one that they already own. However, when it all comes together, the results can change your practice...quickly.

As always, I look forward to your questions and comments at Glenn@Kriegercontinuum.com

Best Wishes,
Glenn

My DVD series will make the process of buying, setting up and properly using your camera system a breeze.

Dental Portraits for Better Marketing

Go look on the web at dental websites and you're bound to see a ton of "before" and "after" images. Some good, some bad. The concept of pre and post images for advertising purposes is a long topic unto itself, and maybe I'll cover that in some future post. For now, I'll keep it really simple. The difference between novices and experts when it comes to dental portraits is depth of field.

Collins dictionary defines depth of field as follows: "the range of distance in front of and behind an object focused by an optical instrument, such as a camera or microscope, within which other objects will also appear clear and sharply defined in the resulting image." 

In other words, great depth of field means that an object and its background are all in focus together. This is exactly what we want when shooting intraoral images. We never want anything out of focus. 

With high depth of field, notice how everything from the retractors to the second molars are in focus. It's what we want for intraoral , but NOT for portraits. Note:I never include retractors in my intramural images but did so for this image for illustrative purposes. 

For portrait shots, to make them look really good, consider getting the background out of focus and actually having poor depth of field. The look will be far superior.

Richard Avedon, arguably the greatest portrait photographer of all time, was a master of depth of  field. Notice how the background behind a young Bob Dylan plays a role, but simply fades away.

     

High depth of field means that everything, including the background is in focus. It tends to take the viewer's attention away from the subject and more on things that play no role.  Don't make this mistake in portraits of your patients.

Shallow depth of field is the hallmark of great photographers who want the face to stand out. Combine that with the amazing dental ring flash posted previously on this blog and you're good to go.

So, now you can hopefully see the difference between OK and amazing dental portraits. It's all about the REALLY, REALLY easy task of managing f-stops and lighting. The higher the f-stop, the greater the depth of field. The lower the f-stop, the less the depth of field.

If you want to have fun, see my previous post  HERE about the 18" ring light from Stellar. With the right color background, your images will look like nobody else's.

The 18" Stellar ring light makes all the difference. Note: This has not been processed in any way after capture and was taken with a 20 year old lens at my friend's office on the spur of the moment.

Notice the difference in depth of field between these two images. Which is preferred is all based upon personal preference. They were both lit only with the Stellar light and nothing on the camera.

If you want to learn really quickly and easily how to handle depth of field and lighting, consider our DVDs available HERE.  One covers how to get great patient positioning for all images and the other how to set up and use your camera for optimal efficiency.

As always, I'm here if you need anything.

Best Wishes,

Glenn