if in doubt... google it!

hey guys
i've just finished off my critiques and just to gain another (often less technical) opinion on the different photography terminology, i googled them. they have great basic, easy to understand info and pics of things like depth of field etc. compared with some of the scientific articles outlined in our reference list, these are much easier to understand.
i was speaking with a BDS 4 student at somerton today and she said clinical photography is an elective topic in 4th year. many dental students don't get the oppurtunity to do this component as they have a lot of other aspects to focus on. we are very lucky we have been given clinical photography as an aspect of CP and im sure everyone agrees, looking at the final products of our pictures, we're all proud of the pictures we've produced.
xx amy

practice makes perfect!

I agree Amy. When I began writing my critique I was being so pedantic about if my photos were of high enough quality and someone made a comment that one set has to be perfect but then I realised that it's not about the quality of the photos but the depth and understanding of your critique. Obviously your good set of photos has to of a relatively good standard but not every photo has to be exactly accurate or else you will have nothing to write about in your critique and there will be no room to formulate improvement strategies. I think it's like everything in this course, as long as you can identify where you went wrong and create some good strategies that will prevent you from repeating your mistakes and as long as your ideas and thoughts illustrate logical thinking then you will get a good grade. Intra-oral photography is a difficult skill to master and at this stage we are still learning the basics and are expected to make some mistakes, with experience and continual practice we will all refine our skills. I think photography can play a vital tool in dentistry and I think it is an extremely valuable part of the course.

Anyway keep practicing, Rachel : )

photography

hey guys,
i think we all may be stressing about the critiquing assignment a little too much! the example assignment sophie put up on myuni was really short and simple and got 80%, we need to chill out.
i printed my pics the other day and theyre not all that great but sophie said its more about how we critique them rather than how great they are.
the most important thing i found with the mirror shots is that the overhead light needs to be placed in the perfect position otherwise u get shaddows all over the image. i had Dr simon lew - the fill in dentist at somerton - helping me and he was even struggling, saying intraoral photography is very difficult...
nearly there guys, 2 weeks to go............
xo Amy

critique writing

Hi all,

Over the last couple of weeks I've had several people come up to me and ask what standardisation of image production and depth of field means. Prior to writing my critique I spent an afternoon researching and reading several papers about how to critique dental photographs. Many of the useful references are available in the dental imaging booklet. By doing this a gained a better understanding about these different aspects (standardisation of image production and depth of field) which ultimately allowed me to critique my photographs more precisely. I think by initially learning about how to critique before jumping into trying to critique the photos is a valuble exercise and will make your critique writing much easier.
Hope this helps, Rach.

photography assignment

Hi all,

I was having a conersation with a few people the other day in regards to the approach that different people are using when taking photographs. Some people were suggesting that it is a good idea to take ten or so shots of the same view but from slightly different angles and positions in hope that one of the many will turn out perfectly. I feel that a far more professional appraoch is to spend your time creating a stable stance, a good angle and the correct focus and then take one or perhaps two high quality shots. I have tried both techniques and in my experience I think that you seem to get a higher quality picture if you just take your time and focus on getting a good photo rather than shooting away and hoping for the best. Anyway in both circumstances the objective is the same, to get a good photo and at the end of the day it doesn't matter how you achieve it.

Say Cheese! Pt 6 (Photography Reflection)

Hello all.

I have submitted my photography assignment now but I can still think of a few things to say (lucky you eh?)

Firstly, Luke raised a good point in his recent comment. It is important to take care of your patient while taking dental photographs. It is all too easy to get absorbed in the process of setting up the perfect shot and forget that you are photographing an actual person, who probably has no idea what is going on!

My photography group has critiqued each other’s ‘bedside manner’ during our various sessions. We have found that it is a good idea to keep talking to the patient while the photos are being taken. This shows to the patient that the operator has not forgotten about them. Saying things like “I know this probably isn’t very comfortable for you” and “I appreciate you putting up with this” shows that the operator is thinking about the patient’s comfort and is trying to avoid unnecessary discomfort.

The operator may also explain the photography process to a curious patient. If the patient understands why they need to have a large mirror put in their mouth, they may be more likely to tolerate it.

Like Luke mentioned, it can also be a good idea to say how many more photos you plan to take before the patient can rest, and count down these photos as you take them. It is obvious that during dental photography the patient is taken out of their comfort zone. By giving the patient a better idea of how much longer they need to stay in position can prevent unnecessary anxiety. It may even encourage the patient to put up with the discomfort a little longer to complete the countdown.

Finally, allow the patient to have a break if/when they require one. Establish how the patient is feeling and ask for their permission before continuing. If the patient is interested, the operator may even decide to show the patient some of the photographs on the camera’s screen. Making the patient feel more in control of the situation may reduce their anxiety and increase their level of cooperation.

Thanks. As always I hope this helps!
Nick

Say Cheese! Pt 5 (Photography Reflection)

Hello all.

In Semester 2A I managed to organise two photo sessions with patients, each with a different patient. I chose these patients because they were both smokers, meaning that I could also use these images in my TUPAC assignment. One of the patients would be inappropriate to use in my photography portfolio as they have lost most of their posterior teeth. Fortunately, the other patient has all of their teeth.

In the soft tissue examination of one of these patients I identified some hyperkeratinised areas that the dentist classified as ‘smokers stomatitis’. As well as monitoring any changes over our appointments, I may also be able to take some follow-up photographs of these soft tissue lesions for comparison with the ones I have already taken. If I manage to take them with accurate reproduction I should be able to identify even minor changes that may have occurred in these tissues.

I took the photos of the patient with a complete dentition early in the semester. When it came to taking the lateral shots I mentioned to my patient that they could be taken with mirrors or by retraction and direct vision (oblique lateral view as mentioned in Bengel, Wolfgang (2002 p.69)). The patient preferred the idea of using retraction, so that is how I ended up taking those photos. Although these photos turned out okay, the use of mirrors would have provided a better angled and better composed shot. In hindsight it would have been better to see if the patient could tolerate the buccal mirrors before mentioning and resorting to an oblique lateral view. I considered re-taking the photos in another appointment; however, as not all photos in the portfolio need to be perfect, I decided my patient’s time would be better spent receiving treatment.

It was a challenge to take some of the photos of the patient with partial edentulism, but my goal was to photograph the teeth present without causing patient discomfort.

Overall I am fairly happy with the quality of the photographs I took of my patients. There are aspects that I would do differently if I was to take them again, but that is what the self evaluation is for!

Nick

Say Cheese! Pt 4 (Photography Reflection)

Hello all.

The following is a list of steps for taking intra-oral photos that I have subconsciously developed over my last few sessions. It’s pretty obvious but I’ll post it here in case it helps anyone.

1. Choose a type of photograph you want to take and refer to the related images in the Bengel Wolfgang texts (available on MyUni) to clarify how the photo should look.
2. Set the patient in position and apply any mirrors and retractors required.
3. Stand in the ideal position, point the camera at the patient’s mouth and adjust the focus until you can see clearly (the focus does not have to be exact at this point).
4. Use the crosshair in the viewfinder to centre to view on the area recommended in the texts (e.g. for frontal view: the contact point of the upper central incisors).
5. Keeping the view centered, move the camera towards or away from the patient until the borders of the image match what is recommended in the texts (e.g. for frontal view: the lateral borders are the vestibulum oris beside the last molars).
6. Now that the view shows all the required features, check that the orientation is correct (e.g. for frontal view: the horizontal plane of the photo should be parallel to the occlusal plane).
7. Finally, keeping the camera steady, adjust the focus until the depth of field is centered on the point recommended in the texts (e.g. for frontal view: the canine / first premolar)
8. Take a short burst of photographs.
9. Check the last image on the camera’s screen for any errors and adjust accordingly.
10. Keep trying until a good quality photograph is taken.

Let me know if this helps anyone!

I have noticed that the extent of horizontal angulation achievable in buccal mirror shots can differ from person to person, depending on the size of the mouth and the flexibility of their lips.
I have also remembered another tip. This was suggested to me and Jasmina by our photography assignment interviewee. To prevent the mirrors from fogging up in the patient’s mouth, put them in a bowl of hot water a few minutes before use. We have used this in our own photography sessions and it works quite well. Give it a try!

Nick