Intraoral Camera Buyer's Guide
Choosing the right dental intraoral camera for your practice can be complicated. We’re here to help. We’ve chosen the top specifications to consider when buying an intraoral camera, and broken them down into a short and simple buyer's guide.
Use this guide as you decide which intraoral camera is right for your office.
Before You Begin: Ask the Right Questions
If this is your first time picking out an intraoral camera, Dr. Jeff Rohde of dentalcompare.com recommends asking yourself the following 7 questions before beginning your search:
- What type of connection does the intraoral camera have?
- Does it work with my existing software, or is there a software bridge that can be used?
- How does it feel in my hand? Consider the weight
- Is the capture button placement easy to reach and press?
- What type of focus (manual vs. auto) does the camera have, and will that fit the needs of my practice?
- Will I use this just for intraoral images, or do I need a camera capable of extraoral capture?
- What is the warranty period?
Top Model Comparison
We’ve created a comparison chart of 4 top intraoral cameras on the used market:
- Kodak 1500
- Gendex EZ1
- Schick USBcam4
- Digital Doc Iris
- DEXIS DEXcam 3
If you have a newer version of any of these, chances are the specs still apply.
Light Source
LEDs surround the camera lens and provide the light necessary for capturing images. Cameras with 4 LEDs will provide adequate light, but the more LEDs, the better.
Focus
Autofocus cameras automatically adjust to bring the main object of the photo into sharp focus. They are able to sense which object should be in the foreground, as well as adjust lighting for optimum conditions. Cameras with autofocus will save you time and improve patient education.
Docking Station
Many digital intraoral cameras can be connected directly to your computer using a USB connection that is either sold separately or built into the camera.
Some intraoral cameras require a docking station to interface between the camera and the computer. Cameras that require a docking station add more equipment to your office and reduce convenience overall.
Viewing Angle
The portion of a scene that the lens can capture is called the angle of view, or viewing angle.
The narrower the viewing angle (lower degrees), the easier it is to isolate an object in the scene. But a subtle shift when positioning the camera will drastically change the portion of the image being captured.
Intraoral cameras with wider viewing angles (higher degrees) can capture large portions of a scene. However, the wider the viewing angle, the more difficult it is to make the object of the photo stand out from the background.
Start Your Journey
We hope this guide has given you a good place to start on your journey towards finding the perfect intraoral camera to fit your needs.
For more detailed breakdowns of the used intraoral cameras we sell, check out our Used Intraoral Camera Product Guide.
Once you’ve made your decision, we offer a wide range of used intraoral cameras, including the models featured in our comparison chart.
You can browse them here.
Sources/Additional Reading:
https://www.dentalcompare.com/Buyers-Guides/141646-Buyers-Guide-Intraoral-Cameras/
https://www.lensiora.com/autofocus-intraoral-cameras-how-they-work/