See It All With the New KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD

Over the past 20 to 30 years we have seen tremendous improvements and advantages in increasing our ability to visually educate our patients. Intraoral cameras meant that for the first time, patients could see their oral health conditions and better understand our explanations of our diagnoses as well as the solutions we offered.

Better information leads to better decisions and better outcomes in dentistry. It’s important that doctors gather and maintain as much information as possible.

That’s why I’m so excited to be able to tell you about a new device from KaVo that not only increases our visual communication, but also provides critical diagnostic information that previously has been difficult to share with patients. The device is called the KaVo DIAGNOcam™ Vision Full HD, and it is impressive.

Device Rundown

The KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD allows the dental team to capture intraoral photos, transillumination photos, and caries fluorescence photos all with a single device. Up to this point, these images were challenging to acquire. It required different devices with separate computer inputs capturing each image separately. Acquiring all of those images required a serious amount of time, if the office even had all 3 imaging capabilities in the first place.

Into this realm comes the KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD, which can acquire 3 diagnostic images with 1 device. You can place the device over a tooth and, with the push of a single button, acquire an intraoral photo, a transillumination photo, and a caries fluorescence photo within a second or 2. The entire mouth can be captured and recorded in 2 to 3 minutes by an experienced user.

Intraoral Imaging

We all know the value of a good, clear intraoral photo for communication with patients as well as for diagnosis and recordkeeping. Most offices use an intraoral camera multiple times a day.

Despite their usefulness, intraoral cameras can suffer from some problems and limitations. Most have a set focal length, which means it might be easy to capture a single tooth, but images from farther away or outside the mouth are blurry or have a fisheye effect that distorts the images.

KaVo built in a constant autofocus that instantly brings things into focus and renders them without distortion. You can easily take a photo of a second molar and then take a full-face extraoral photo a moment later, and both images are rendered perfectly with no distortion. Simply point the camera at the target, and it is instantly in focus and ready to capture. Whether it’s a single tooth, a quadrant, a smile, or full face, this device does it all.

The KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD captures precise and clear high definition images. These crisp images allow both the professional and the patient to see amazing amounts of detail.

Transillumination Imaging

Most offices using transillumination are doing so with small bright lights utilizing visible white light. They are like tiny flashlights that can be placed to illuminate the interproximal area. The problem with this approach is that because they are bright by design, the light pollution often makes things hard for the doctor to visualize clearly.

The second problem is simply sharing what the doctor sees. Because a flashlight doesn’t take pictures, the doctor has to share their findings verbally, and that brings us back to the fact that only 10% of our perception comes through the ears.

The DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD uses near-infrared (NIR) illumination instead of white light for this process. In the product photos, you can see what appears to be 2 small arms on the device. These arms go over the tooth to embrace it from the buccal and lingual aspects, and they contain fiberoptics that deliver this NIR from both sides of the target tooth. NIR harmlessly penetrates the tooth more effectively than white light and with no light pollution. These images are just as clear as the intraoral ones, and they can be shared with the patient to explain the findings.

Transillumination is a great tool for finding lesions too small to be found on x-rays. It’s a tremendous tool for early diagnosis, pediatrics, and pregnant patients. It is also a tremendous tool for monitoring remineralization therapy.

Transillumination is also a useful tool for locating cracks in teeth and decay under sealants and restorations. Conservative doctors will find this device a wonderful adjunct for their patients.

Fluorescence Imaging

The third function the device delivers is fluorescence imaging. The bacteria that cause decay create a metabolic byproduct that glows (fluoresces) under certain wavelengths of light. The DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD has LEDs that emit these wavelengths.

The image created by this wavelength causes healthy enamel to have a light-green color, similar to the skin of a green apple. Areas of active caries glow with a red color, allowing for quick identification of their presence.

Simply put, if there are no metabolic byproducts, there are no active cariogenic bacteria. This also allows doctors to find and treat caries at their earliest stages as well as allowing for active monitoring for doctors using remineralization therapy. Comparing images taken over time can give a much better indication if lesions are progressing or shrinking.

If lesions are found when small, restorations can be small and potentially done with no anesthetic while preserving tooth structure. Being able to find active caries early also helps prevent the placing of a sealant over an area of active caries.

The device can also be used during restorative procedures to ensure all active caries are removed before placing the final restoration.

Wrapping Up

The KaVo DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD is an amazing device. Not only does it provide high-quality images in all modalities, but it also streamlines treatment. The efficiency of gaining all this information in a short amount of time means that offices can obtain more diagnostic information than ever before and still maintain the efficiency of a digital workflow.

I’ve found it to be a valuable addition to my office, and I highly recommend giving it a look. For offices looking to improve their diagnostic accuracy while maintaining efficiency, this is a device that should be considered. KaVo has a long history of delivering high-quality equipment and devices for the profession, and the DIAGNOcam Vision Full HD is a great addition to their product line. I’m confident you’ll be as impressed with it as I am.