Images Based Upon Restoration

Laboratories have always requested pertinent photographic images from clients. As photography as a whole continues to evolve, so does our opinion on what images are most helpful, and the best method of their capture. For eons, sharing individual images taken with expensive cameras has been the standard. This technique still works great and is superior for photography intended to communicate color, shade and texture.  But with the quality and convenience of smart phones, more doctors are using their devices to efficiently transfer images. In fact, recently we have been suggesting sending short videos, which will provide thousands of extractable, high-quality images. The key to sending videos is to make sure they are short in duration, under a minute, to allow them to be transferred with minimal size compression.

We are often asked, “What pictures are the most helpful to the lab?” Below is a list of the prosthetic requests which we feel most benefit from photographs, as well as what images are the most valuable to us as technicians. These images should be uploaded through our web portal.

Denture Bite Rim – Full Face and Profile Providing these two images at the bite stage, along with midline, incisal, cervical, and high smile line position, goes a long way in getting a great setup. Both images are equally important.

Denture Set-Up – Full Face and Profile Similar to the bite rim images, if a reset is needed, these images and written instructions dial-in the result.

Single Anterior Teeth – Full Face, Retracted Close Up with Shade Tab   When matching a single tooth, a few items are critical. First, the image must be focused on the tooth we are mimicking, with the shade tab body-to-body, and edge-to-edge. This provides the needed color scale to make porcelain selection and staining decisions. Feel free to send the actual tab with your case.

Anterior Restorations / Wax-ups / DSD – Full Face, Profile(s), 12:00, Retracted These images are desired and helpful with fixed, anterior work. We feel it is significant to provide images of both teeth and face. BELOW

Profile Left / Right

Full Smile Full Face

Retracted Smile

The 12 O'clock Smile