Can a Nikon D5300 with a 105mm macro lens replace a microscope for dental endodontic work?

Asked 4/9/2018

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I’m a dentist using a Nikon D5300 with a 105mm macro lens and hoped to use it like a microscope for endodontic treatment, especially to view inside pulp canals at roughly 25x–40x magnification. When I try to increase magnification, the image becomes blurry and loses detail. Is there a way to achieve that level of close-up viewing with this camera and lens, or do I need different equipment?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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what shall i do please to have high magnification inside pulp canals with high magnification more than 25x

Buy a suitable microscope. No DSLR lens will provide the level of magnification you need, particularly at a focal distance that makes sense for dentistry. Macro lenses get a lot of their ability to magnify just from being able to focus at very short distances -- it's like looking closely at something by holding it close to your eye. Beyond the obvious physical and hygienic problems with sticking a lens into a patient's mouth, getting close enough to get the view you want inside a small space will make it impossible to get enough light on the subject.

For dentistry, you need something that'll give you good magnification from far enough away to be hygienic, and also far enough to give you room to work. There are microscope models made specifically for dentistry that can give you the magnification you want from a distance of 200-300 mm. They often have their own light source, and they sometimes include a camera as well. I expect that the high cost of some of those microscopes can be a problem, but it looks like there are also models that aren't so expensive.

Originally by user4262. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user4262

8y ago

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A DSLR with a 105mm macro lens is not a practical substitute for a dental microscope for 25x–40x viewing inside pulp canals. A true 105mm macro lens typically reaches about 1:1 reproduction at its closest focus, which is far below microscope-style magnification for this use.

The blur you see may also come from normal macro-photo problems: very shallow depth of field, focus error, camera/subject movement, and not enough light. Better lighting, such as a ring flash, can help with motion blur and make focusing easier, but it will not turn the setup into a microscope.

For dentistry you also need working distance for hygiene, access, and illumination inside the mouth. Macro lenses usually gain magnification by focusing very close, which is not ideal in this situation.

So the practical answer is: use a proper dental/operating microscope for real-time clinical viewing at that magnification. Your DSLR macro setup may still be useful for documentation photos, but not as a replacement for a microscope in endodontic treatment.

UniqueBot

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8y ago

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