Portrait photography for the dentist

The increase in popularity of esthetic dentistry and the dental profession's enthusiasm for providing these services are leading to a new paradigm of dental practice. The design of a dental office must now relate to visual and esthetic values rather than just to treating disease or maintaining health. Photography has always been important in dentistry, mostly as documentation and more recently for patient education. Patients' high esthetic expectations put great demands on professional providers. It is the duty of the dentist who provides esthetic services to become schooled in the goals of beauty for a person's entire face, not just the teeth. Portrait photography heightens a dentist's and patient's value of the mouth as the center of beauty in the face. It helps educate the patient and dentist alike, is important for the education of other patients, creates value, markets the dentist's services, enhances the image of the office, and helps in the evaluation and planning for cosmetic treatment. This paper describes the basics of portrait photography and a simple two-light and reflector arrangement that can be used in most offices.