Photography. Why not?

I’m not much into New Year’s resolutions. They often end in failure, but here is one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Next year take a set of clinical photos at every new patient examination. No “ifs”, no “buts”, no “maybes”. Just do it.

If you get efficient and good at it, a set of clinical photos takes less than a minute to do and provides many benefits:

• You will diagnose more accurately

• You will get better case acceptance

• Your treatment planning will improve

• The quality of your work will improve

• You will communicate better with laboratories and specialists

• Photos provide legal protection

Digital photos cost nothing to take and the gear needed costs less than $1,000.

Yet, my experience is that less than 10% of dentists take photos for every patient. Most dentists say “I take photos when needed”. This is their way of saying “once in a blue moon”.

I’ve been in practices where dentists have told me they take photos. When a patient arrives I tell them to get out the camera. They have trouble finding it and the batteries are flat.

But, once you make the decision to do it for every patient things become easy. It becomes a habit. As long as you think “I take photos when needed” there will always be a reason why this particular patient doesn’t need photos.

So, if you make one New Year’s resolution this should be the one.