Start here · Machines · Imaging
Intraoral camera
Also called: IO camera, mouth camera
A small camera wand that shows teeth up close on a screen.
An intraoral camera is a pen-sized camera with built-in lights. It shows patients what the dentist sees, such as a cracked filling, and saves pictures to the chart. It does not use radiation.
How to spot it
- A slim wand with a tiny lens near the tip, on a cord or in a dock, often linked to the chairside monitor.
What it is used for
- Cover it with a barrier sleeve and capture images as the clinician asks.
Safety and care
- It touches the mouth, so it is semicritical: barrier it, then clean and disinfect it after each patient per the manufacturer.
Related
Sources: CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17), Iannucci JM, Howerton LJ. Dental Radiography: Principles and Techniques, 6th ed. Elsevier, 2022