Leading dentists who participated in the clinical trials of Kodak’s latest dental digital camera praise its ease of use and excellent image quality.
Over recent weeks, a number of dentists were invited to evaluate the Kodak DX4900 Dental Digital Camera Kit, featuring the Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock, in their clinical practices.
Scott Benjamin, DDS, is Advanced Technology Editor for Practical Procedures and Aesthetic Dentistry and is chairman for digital cameras working group of the American Dental Association Standards Committee. Dr. Benjamin has owned or tried over a dozen different digital cameras over the years, and after evaluating the new Kodak Camera, he reported, “The Kodak DX4900 Dental Digital Camera is the easiest I’ve ever used.” His staff, he says, “was able to pick it up and start taking great pictures instantly. The color is excellent. Overall, the image quality is almost unbelievable.”
Dr. Benjamin, in private practice based in Sidney, N.Y., was also impressed by the camera’s image quality. “The photos I got with this camera are phenomenal. I’ve been doing more laser biopsies lately, and I always send photographs to my pathologist. When he saw the photos I’d taken with the Kodak DX4900, he raved about the quality. In fact, he wants to incorporate them into his lecture series. Also, my crown and bridge lab is extremely impressed with the improved color quality of the images that it is receiving for prosthetic cases.”
In Beachwood, Ohio, Benjamin Hornstein, DDS, noted that the camera kit’s tools, such as the distance guide, greatly simplify the task of taking pictures. “This is an affordable digital camera that is very easy to use,” he said. “To my knowledge, there is not a better value on the market for dentists today.”
Dr. Hornstein noted that in his office, the photos are taken by the practice’s massage therapist—a woman with no dental training. Yet she was able to learn how to capture the required views quickly. “The camera’s distance guide and the grid on the camera’s LCD screen show my staff exactly how to frame each shot,” he said.
Dr. Hornstein also praised the camera’s image quality. “Especially when you use a top-of-the-line inkjet paper, the pictures are unbelievable,” he said, noting that he uses Kodak DMI Inkjet Paper for Dental Imaging. “I was pleased with the color fidelity as well.”
John A. Cianciola, DDS, MSD, Rochester, N.Y., said, “I’ve been following this technology. I think I’ve tried every digital camera out there. And the Kodak DX4900 is the easiest, fastest way to get great pictures that I’ve ever seen. I’m thrilled with this camera.”
In the past, Dr. Cianciola’s staff has had trouble using digital photography in the practice. “They felt that everything else we tried just took too much time to use. And frankly, they were right,” he said. “But with the new Kodak Camera, in five minutes, you’re an expert. The guidebook that comes with it is terrific. All the steps are depicted visually. It takes no time at all to understand how to use the camera. And the distance guide is awesome.”
The image quality of the camera, Dr. Cianciola says, is “wonderful.” He also uses Kodak DMI Inkjet Paper for Dental Imaging which he gets from directly from his dental dealer, and noted “it’s important to use quality paper. When you do, you really produce vibrant, true-to-life photographs.”
“I’ve owned several other high quality digital cameras,” Dr. Cianciola concluded. “But nothing compares to the Kodak DX4900. If you want your staff to get great results in the least amount of time, this is definitely the camera for you.”
The Kodak DX4900 Dental Digital Camera Kit features a compact 4.0 megapixel resolution 6X zoom digital camera. The camera is equipped with sophisticated color management software for excellent rendition of patient tooth and gum color. The kit also comes with the Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock. This device automates the uploading of digital pictures to computer workstations while it recharges the camera batteries.
Other innovative features of the Kodak DX4900 Kit include:
A distance guide and positioning grid that eliminate the guesswork during shot set-up. The Kodak Dental Close-up Lens, a customized macro lens for dentistry permitting close-up views of patients’ teeth. A simple, easy to follow dental photography how-to guide to help users of any skill level to quickly master basic camera functions. On initial shipment, the camera is pre-staged and set up for dental photography. If changes are made for non-dental picture taking, they can easily be restored to dental photography settings. A one-year unit-replacement warranty from Kodak. The kit also includes Kodak Picture Software for editing, managing and sharing digital photographs, rechargeable batteries, USB and video out cables and two removable CompactFlash memory cards.
The Kodak DX4900 Dental Digital Camera Kit is now available in the United States and Canada. For more information, dental professionals can log onto Kodak’s dental website at www.kodak.com/go/dental or call 800-933-8031.
About Kodak’s Dental Business
Kodak’s dental business is a leading participant in infoimaging, a $225 billion industry created by the convergence of image-and-information technology. The business develops, manufactures and markets imaging capture and output solutions for dental practitioners, including intraoral and extraoral dental imaging films and processing chemistry; medical inkjet printers, inks and papers; 35 mm photographic films, digital cameras, printers and accessories for dental applications; Cook-Waite brand local anesthetics; and a variety of related products and services. Infoimaging unites three closely related imaging markets that enable people to more easily take and share images as information: devices, such as digital cameras and medical inkjet printers; infrastructure, such as networks; and services and media, such as medical grade inkjet paper.
For more information about Kodak’s dental business call 800-933-8031 or visit Kodak’s Health Imaging Dental Products Group website at www.kodak.com/go/dental. For technical questions about any Kodak dental product, you can also call (U.S.) 800-933-8031 or your regional Kodak products representative.
(Note: Kodak, EasyShare and Cook-Waite are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company. Eastman Kodak Company is an authorized licensee of the CompactFlash trademark.)