Dental photography is a routine procedure in contemporary dental practice.
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A photographic black contraster is a tool for dental photography that provides a black background to isolate the teeth of interest. The black color neutralizes the background, making it easier to visualize color matches or mismatches.2
Digital photographs aid in transferring information about shade, enamel staining, characterization, and incisal edge translucency between the dentist and the dental laboratory technician.3
High-quality images can impress patients and can be used for professional instruction and publications.4
Rigid contrasters can be made of anodized aluminum or aluminum steel alloy and soft contraster of malleable stainless steel or copper sheet covered with medical grade plastic silicone rubber, which is latex-free, safe, and hypoallergenic. Contrasters are sterilized in an autoclave up to 135 °C and available in different shapes to allow anterior, lateral, and occlusal photographs, as well as of different sizes including large, medium, or small adult arches and for pediatric use.
Contrasters are available from dental suppliers. However, they are relatively expensive, and usually multiple contrasters are needed for different intraoral photographs. The following article describes a cost-effective and straightforward technique to fabricate an intraoral photographic contraster by using a kitchen solid nylon turner or spatula. A nylon turner is inexpensive, heat-resistant, stain-resistant, safe to use, and autoclavable. In addition, it has a long contra-angled handle for improved convenience and accessibility.
Procedure
- 1.Purchase a black solid nylon turner (Trueliving Solid Nylon Turner; Robinson Home Products Inc) from a department store (Fig. 1). Select one that is heat-resistant to 135 °C or more (Fig. 2).
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Figure 1Black heat-resistant nylon turner.![Figure thumbnail gr2]()
Figure 2Nylon turner is heat resistant. - 2.Draw the outline on the nylon turner. The outline can replicate an occlusal or buccal intraoral mirror or the design can be modified to allow it to fit comfortably in different areas of the oral cavity (Fig. 3).
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Figure 3Outline drawn on nylon turner. - 3.Trim the edges of the contraster by using a heatless stone (Mizzy Heatless Wheels; Keystone Industries) at 20 000 rpm, following the outline.
- 4.Polish the edges with polishing rubber wheels (WH6; Shofu Dental Corp). Smooth the edges with 320-grit abrasive paper (LECO Corp).
- 5.Use the contraster to make intraoral pictures. Autoclave after each use (Fig. 4).
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Figure 4Intraoral picture made with contraster in place.
References
- Photographic-assisted diagnosis and treatment planning.Dent Clin North Am. 2011; 55: 211-227
- Photography and Photoshop: simple tools and rules for effective and accurate communication.Inside Dentistry. 2006; 2: 97-101
- A technique using calibrated photography and Photoshop for accurate shade analysis and communication.Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2017; 38: 106-113
- Contemporary dental photography: selection and application.Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2008; 29: 432-436
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 02, 2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 by the Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.
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