Best Mirror For Dental Photography

If you were wondering what’s the best mirror for dental photography, you’ve come to the right place. Dental photography mirrors are a staple in any dental clinic. This is why you need to know how to choose the right ones. Read on to find out more about our top picks.

Mirrors For Dental Photography: 2022 Top Picks

Here are our top picks when it comes to mirrors for dental photography on the market:

1. XUX Dental Automatic Anti-Fog Mirrors - Best Anti-Fog Option

One of the biggest issues that dentists encounter when taking intraoral photos is the fogging of the mirror.

With the XUX Dental Automatic Anti-Fog Mirrors, you can put this problem in your rearview.

This set comes with two occlusal mirrors, a buccal mirror, and a lingual mirror. Each of these is attachable to a rechargeable anti-fog unit.

This device features a silent fan that emits cold air preventing the attached mirror from fogging up when inside a patient’s mouth. Not only that, but it also features LED lights that significantly improve visibility. In turn, this product allows for ultra-clear photos.

The mirror attachments are also fully autoclavable, ensuring the safety of your patients from infection.

Pros

  • Fantastic anti-fog capabilities for crystal clear photos
  • A sterilizable mirror that can withstand autoclaving at 134°C
  • A LED light to furtherly increase the quality of the picture

Cons

  • The main unit itself isn’t sterilizable. You’ll need to constantly wrap and clean that unit between visits

This occlusal mirror is an excellent tool for taking full-arch intraoral photos. The fact that it’s double-sided grants you greater flexibility when it comes to the angles you can use to take those photos.

This product is also built to last with its durable stainless steel coating. It also has a storage bag to keep it in when not used. This minimizes the mirror’s exposure to surfaces that can scratch it.

It’s worth pointing out that this mirror is the cheapest on our list for those on a budget.

Pros:

  • The mirror is double-sided to provide flexibility in photography
  • It’s made from stainless steel for maximum durability
  • The cheapest product on our list

Cons:

  • The large, bulky size of the mirror makes buccal shots a little difficult, especially with patients with limited mouth openings

This 5-piece set features a trio of occlusal mirrors of various sizes, as well as a buccal mirror and a lingual mirror.

The mirrors in this set are all double-sided, giving a wide range of angles to snap photos. They’re also made from high-quality glass coated with chromium, giving them a whopping reflectance of 95%. At this level of reflectance, your images will be crystal clear.

This set is also fully autoclavable at up to 134°C. Any dental tool that can withstand 134°C will prevent you from having to sort it out like other tools that can only hold until 121°C.

Unfortunately, this set doesn’t come with a storage pouch or sleeve.

Pros:

  • One of the best reflection capabilities of dental mirrors for ideal photos
  • Fully autoclavable up to 134°C
  • You get 5 mirrors in 1 purchase

Cons:

  • The lack of storage pouches makes storing the mirror a bit annoying

When it comes to dental equipment, there aren’t many brands that are as reputable as Practicon. Their Ultrabright Buccal Adult Photo Mirror is one of the best mirrors out there.

This mirror features rhodium and titanium coating. While these coatings would usually give you a reflectance of around 75%, Practicon’s patented Ultrabright technology significantly boosts this figure.

The mirror also has a gentle curvature near its tip to prevent unnecessary damage to the intraoral mucosa.

Pros

  • Built with top-quality materials that you will feel when you hold the mirror
  • Slender design to avoid damaging the mucosa
  • Durable construction that will last for a long time before needing replacement

Cons

  • A little on the expensive side

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the best coating material for dental photography mirrors?

There are several materials used in coating dental photography mirrors. The most often used ones are titanium, chromium, and rhodium.

You may be asking, why does the coating material matter? The answer revolves around reflectance, a crucial determining factor in the brightness, sharpness, and color quality of the intraoral photos you take.

Each of these materials reflects light at a different rate; here’s the reflectance rate of each one:

  • Titanium: 80%
  • Chromium: 70%
  • Rhodium: 75%

Titanium’s higher level of reflectance makes it the best material for dental photography mirror coating. This is evidenced in the brightness and color vibrance of the photos it helps produce.

2. Are anti-fog mirrors more convenient?

Mirrors with built-in anti-fog capabilities are definitely easier to use. They allow you to focus on mirror placement and take the best possible image.

This eliminates the need to use a separate device to clear the fog on the mirror inside the patient’s mouth.

3. How can you properly maintain your dental photography mirrors?

If you want your dental photography mirrors to reach their maximum potential shelf-life, you need to take the necessary actions.

One thing you should never do is stack your mirrors on top of each other; doing so is a surefire way to get scratches all over them.

Instead, you should store each one of them separately in a microfiber sleeve.

You should also avoid sterilizing your mirrors using an ultrasonic cleaning device. If you decide to use an ultrasonic cleaner, make sure not to have any other equipment in there with your mirrors to avoid damaging them.

Conclusion

So, what’s the best mirror for dental photography?

If you’re looking for an anti-fog mirror, then your best option would be the XUX Dental Automatic Anti-Fog Mirrors.

On the other hand, if your priority is a highly reflective coating material, your best bet would be the Intraoral Mirrors Dental Photography 5 Pcs set. You can also go for the Practicon 7102814 Doctorseyes Ultrabright Buccal 15 Adult Photo Mirror if you don’t mind going deeper into your pockets.

There you have it; now you have all the information you need when choosing a dental photography mirror.

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About the Author
Dr. Harpreet Singh Manaktala

Dr. Harpreet Singh Manaktala is a dentist who loves blogging and browse the social media. He started his blog, Dr. HSM, to help educate people about dental health and to dispel some of the myths that are out there. He has quickly gained lot of popularity online, with over 100,000 views on his blog. Dr. Harpreet is passionate about oral health and wants to help as many people as he can achieve optimal dental health.

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