How to take a photo for your orthodontic appointment
To help your clinician have the clearest view possible of your teeth and smile, you may be asked to share photos ahead of your appointment. This is a great way to get an idea of your teeth alignment beforehand. To help you prepare for your appointment, we’ve put together a few pointers to help you capture the perfect pose.
For face on images, we recommend to look straight at the camera as normal with both a resting face, then in exactly the same pose with a big smile to see your front teeth.
To allow us to assess the prominence of your upper or lower teeth, we’d like you to capture your face from the side. If you have long hair, make sure it’s tucked behind your ear and away from your face and no smiling for this one.
For the best angle face on, we recommend you get two spoons and hold the side of your cheeks and bite down to show the front and sides of your teeth more clearly. You can use a similar method for getting a side angled shot. Use one of the two spoons and hold each side of your cheeks and bite down to show the front and sides of your teeth more clearly.
For a clearer view of your upper arch, carefully tilt your head back and open your mouth wide so we can see all of your top arch of your teeth. Similarly, for your lower arch, tilt your head forward this time use the two spoons again to hold your cheeks to show the bottom arch of your teeth.
Some General advice
- Natural light is best where possible, avoid harsh overhead lights - Avoid shadows, dark and not well-lit areas. - When taking a photo on your mobile, try tapping the source of any light to adjust the exposure. - If you can, try to get some closer up images in each position, but make sure the camera is not out of focus – try tapping on your mouth on your phone to focus specifically for your mouth. - If possible, ask a friend or family member to help take the photos.
