FAQ
What is dental case photography?
A straight answer first, then the context behind it, from the technicians who do the work.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Dental case photography is a standardized set of clinical images, typically 8 to 12 shots, capturing the patient's preoperative condition, shade references, tissue contours, and occlusal detail before a restoration is fabricated. Labs use these photos to match shade, plan emergence profiles, and verify esthetic targets before a single unit is milled or layered.
THE CONTEXT
What sits behind it
For prosthodontists and general dentists sending complex anterior cases, photography replaces guesswork with data. A full photo series covering retracted frontal, lateral, incisal edge, and natural-light shade shots gives the fabricating technician a visual brief that no prescription form can replicate. Without it, shade calls depend entirely on a written tab number, which ignores value, translucency, and surface texture. That gap is where esthetic remakes originate.
The minimum useful set for most crown-and-bridge cases is eight images: retracted frontal at rest, at smile, and in occlusion; lateral views left and right; a close-up with a shade tab in natural light; and an incisal edge view. Full-arch implant cases add a CBCT-derived tissue profile and, when available, a facial scan. Dani Dental's clinical photography guide, available in the Doctor Starter Kit, lists the exact angles and lighting conditions that match the lab's review workflow.
Photography also protects the clinician. When the delivered restoration matches the documented preoperative record, remake disputes drop sharply. Labs that review photography before fabrication, not after a complaint, catch fit and shade conflicts at the wax-up or pre-mill stage, saving both chair time and material cost on both sides of the case.
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Read the full guide on all procedures
This question is one piece of a larger workflow. The pillar page covers materials, turnaround, and how we build the case to your specification.
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