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Clinical Tip:
Dental Photography
as a Laboratory
Communication Tool
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by Bradley C. Bockhorst, DMD
Patient photographs are one of the most useful tools available to a clinician when working up a case and
communicating with the laboratory, and they can be especially helpful when treating edentulous cases. For a
trial denture setup, tooth arrangement, shade, midline, vertical dimension of occlusion and closest speaking space can be
evaluated. When deciding between an overdenture and a screw-retained denture, a trial denture without a labial flange can
be used to evaluate the transition line in relation to the smile line and midface support. Including photographs with your
lab prescription can prove invaluable in helping the technician achieve your desired treatment goals.
The images that follow illustrate this technique. Like the old axiom states: A picture can say a thousand words!
Figure 1a: With the patient’s lips closed, measure
the vertical dimension of occlusion. Then ask the
patient to swallow and let his or her lower jaw relax
to evaluate the vertical dimension at rest.
Figure 1b: With the patient’s lips slightly open, evaluate
the incisal edge position and closest speaking
space by asking the patient to pronounce “f,” “ch”
and “s” sounds.
A trial denture
without a labial
flange can
be used to
evaluate the
transition line
in relation to
the smile line
and midface
support.
Figure 2a: Smile line
Figure 2b: High smile line
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