Reliability of an intraoral camera: utility for clinical dentistry and research.

Photographic images can be reliable and efficient sources of data in dentistry. Many variables can be investigated from single exposures. This study was undertaken to test the reliability of an intraoral graphic instrument--the Orthoscan camera. The utility of this instrument in clinical orthodontics has been described, but the research potential has yet to be investigated. Upper and lower dental arches of fifteen patients were photographed intraorally. Alginate impressions of the arches were taken immediately afterward. Identical intertooth distances were located (1) on the intraoral photographs, (2) on the photographs of the dental casts, and (3) on the dental casts themselves. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess measurement error in these replicate measurements. The camera was found to be a highly reliable instrument. The images are flat and free of distortion, with a one-to-one size relationship. The camera is quite suitable for precise scientific investigations, and the data are acceptable for valid interobserver and interpopulation comparisons.