Seeing a dental concern can make it much easier to understand. The Digital Doc IRIS intraoral camera captures clear, full-color images of your teeth and gums, giving both you and our dental team a closer look at your oral health.
During your visits at Queen City Dental Arts, Dr. Meghan Stenvall may use these images to examine suspicious areas, document changes, and explain why treatment is or is not recommended.
Learn more about our intraoral camera in Charlotte, North Carolina, by calling 704-542-6533.
What Is an Intraoral Camera?
An intraoral camera is a small, pen-shaped device designed to take detailed photographs inside the mouth. Its compact size allows our dentist and team to view teeth, gums, and hard-to-see angles more closely than may be possible during a visual exam alone.
Images from the Digital Doc IRIS camera appear on a nearby monitor, so you can see the same areas our dentist is evaluating.
What Can an Intraoral Camera Show?
The camera can help us inspect and document several types of dental concerns, including:
- Visible tooth decay
- Cracked or chipped teeth
- Worn or damaged dental fillings
- Red, swollen, or receding gums
- Plaque and tartar buildup
- Areas that are difficult to view with a dental mirror
- Changes around existing crowns or other restorations
An intraoral camera does not replace every diagnostic tool. Instead, it adds a detailed visual record that can be considered alongside your examination and, when needed, digital X-rays.
A Better Way to Understand Your Smile
Dental terminology can be difficult to picture without a visual reference. By displaying images on a monitor, our team can point directly to a crack, worn restoration, inflamed area, or other concern.
This gives you an opportunity to ask informed questions and better understand:
- What our dentist sees during the examination
- Why an area should be monitored
- Why treatment may be recommended
- How a tooth or restoration has changed over time
- What an area looks like after treatment
Benefits of the Digital Doc IRIS Camera
The Digital Doc IRIS intraoral camera supports clearer examinations and more transparent conversations about dental care. Its benefits include:
- High-quality color images
- Close views of small or difficult-to-reach areas
- Immediate display in the treatment room
- Visual documentation for future comparison
- Clearer explanations of dental findings
- Images that may be shared with specialists or insurance companies when appropriate
How the Camera Is Used During an Appointment
A member of our team gently guides the slim camera through different areas of your mouth. The process is brief and does not require radiation.
Images may be taken as part of a routine examination, while evaluating a specific symptom, or before recommending restorative treatment. Dr. Stenvall can then enlarge the photographs and review relevant details with you.
Monitoring Changes Over Time
Intraoral photographs provide a useful record of your teeth and gums at a specific point in time. During future appointments, new images may be compared with earlier ones to determine whether an area has remained stable or changed.
This can be helpful when monitoring:
- Small cracks or areas of wear
- Existing fillings, crowns, and other restorations
- Gum inflammation or recession
- Areas at risk for decay
- Healing after certain procedures
Consistent monitoring supports preventive dental care by helping our team respond to meaningful changes rather than relying on memory alone.
Clear Communication With Dr. Stenvall
Dr. Stenvall is known for listening carefully and helping patients feel comfortable with their care. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and completed a general practice residency at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.
By reviewing intraoral photographs with you, she can explain her observations in a direct, visual way and help you participate more confidently in treatment decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an intraoral camera take X-rays?
No. An intraoral camera takes color photographs of visible areas inside the mouth. Digital X-rays provide different information about structures beneath the surface.
Does using an intraoral camera hurt?
The camera is small and designed to move comfortably through the mouth. Most patients find the imaging process quick and easy.
Why would my dentist photograph my teeth?
Photographs can help document dental concerns, explain findings, monitor changes, and compare an area before and after treatment.
Can I see the intraoral camera images?
Yes. The images can be displayed on a monitor during your visit, allowing our team to show you the areas being examined.
Can intraoral images be shared with another dentist?
When appropriate, dental photographs may be shared with specialists or other dental professionals involved in your care. They may also support documentation submitted to an insurance company.
Take a Closer Look at Your Oral Health
The Digital Doc IRIS intraoral camera helps make dental care more visual, understandable, and collaborative. Detailed images allow our team to document concerns and explain what we see without relying on descriptions alone.
Call 704-542-6533 or contact our office to schedule a visit and learn how intraoral imaging is used in Charlotte, NC.