Not a professional photographer? No worries. These days, all you need is the right equipment and a little digital know-how to add high-quality, affordable digital photographs to your practice.  

We recently spoke with Dr. Chris Hammond, director of digital photography at the Hornbrook Group, and got answers to your most common digital-related questions. Not sure what type of camera to buy or where to buy it? Hammond can help.

As digital cameras become more popular, more dentists want to make the switch but aren’t sure where to start. Hammond receives three or four e-mails a day and about the same number of phone calls each week, he says, all from dentists looking for digital answers.

The new cameras and equipment recently added to the market have helped make digital photography one of the hottest topics in dentistry today, Hammond says, and is an advancement that will only improve patient care.

 “It allows dentists to evaluate their own work and increase the quality of their work. Patient demand for excellent cosmetic dentistry really requires that critique from dentists,” Hammond says. “Dentists are starting to understand this and they’re getting more involved in photography to increase the value of their dentistry and meet patient demand.”

Ready to get started? Read on for Hammond’s top seven answers to your most frequently asked questions.

What type of camera should I buy?

Resist the urge to start with a point-and-shoot camera. Hammond recommends picking up a digital SLR camera instead for the highest quality photographs available. These cameras are easy-to-use but can be a bit intimidating because they’re bigger and look more complicated than the typical point-and-shoot. Not so, Hammond says. In fact, if you learn how to use an SLR camera properly, you’ll find it’s even easier to operate than a point-and-shoot.

“They are heavier than the point-and-shoot cameras and they’re a little more expensive, but in the end when dentists migrate to these cameras, the quality of their pictures increase dramatically,” Hammond says.

Hammond’s suggestions: Canon 30D and Nikon D200.

Now that I know which camera I want, where do I buy it?

Don’t just wander down the street to any camera store when you’re ready to buy. Instead, Hammond says to buy the camera from a company that knows dental photography. You’ll have a much better experience if the company can help ensure that you get the equipment you need as well as help you troubleshoot if you run into problems once you get back to the office. The type of company you’re looking for attends the dental meetings, specializes in dental photography and knows when the latest equipment hits the market.

Hammond’s suggestion: Norman Camera

I bought the camera and am eager to start shooting. What settings should I use for the best photographs?

There are a number of settings to pay attention to, but the ones that get the most questions are the shutter speed and aperture, Hammond says. The right settings give you control over the image quality, from the correct color to simply making sure it’s in focus. For shutter speed, Hammond recommends 60, describing it as a “user-friendly shutter speed that works with multiple dental views.” He keeps his aperture setting at 32, which allows for maximum depth of field to keep the entire image in focus. These settings work best when you’re just taking a picture of the tooth; if you’re taking a picture of the patient’s entire face, Hammond says to change the aperture setting to 5.6.

OK, but what about flash?

There are two ways you can run flash on a SLR digital camera: manual or TTL. TTL mode works best with the 60-shutter speed and 32-aperture setting, Hammond says, and it’s an easy way to shoot quality clinical photos.

“It’s a simple flash mode for dental team members and dentists to use to take predictable photographs without getting too involved in advanced flash set up,” Hammond says.

What’s the best way to print quality photos in my office?

If you want high-quality prints, don’t use the basic laser printers that handle your documents. There are affordable printers out there specifically designed to print near, if not photo quality images right in your office. And they’re affordable, at about $500.

Hammond’s suggestions: Canon Pixma IP 9000, Epson Stylus Photo R 1800 and the HP Photosmart 8750.

Where should I store my photos?

Although it may be tempting to store your photos in your dental software program, Hammond says don’t do it. Keep your photos in a dedicated hard drive that’s easy to manage and keep separate from everything else. Hammond stores his photos right in Windows Xp. Another option? Use a library program, such as Thumbsplus, which allows you to organize your photos in a variety of ways. No mater which option you choose, you won’t bog down your server or have any trouble finding the images you need.

What’s the easiest, most professional way to share images with patients and other doctors?

This is a popular question, and until recently Hammond says there wasn’t really a good answer. But earlier this year, Smile Gallery Pro became his image-sharing method of choice. Hammond describes this Web-based program as the best way to share pictures over the Internet, in your office or on a CD.  The easy-to-use program allows dentists to insert their own images into a professional gallery that’s set to music. The images are displayed and rotated, and Smile Gallery will even print a photo album for you. Best of all, the program’s basic version is free. If you want to upgrade, it’s as easy as buying an affordable license.

“There are other ways to do it, but you have to buy programs and software,” Hammond says. “This is Web-based, easy and inexpensive compared with the other options available.”  

Check it out for yourself at www.smilegallerypro.com.

Related Podcast: Technology Editor John Flucke reviews the Kodak Dental P712 camera