Comparing images

You can compare two images side by side.

To compare images

1. If the correct patient is not already selected, use the Patient Search box to access the patient's record.

   Note: You can include inactive patients in the search results by setting the Include inactive patients switch to On.

2. Do one of the following:

   • View an image from the patient's image history list.

     1. On the Patient menu, under Clinical, click (or tap) Chart, Progress Notes, Quick Exam, Perio, Tx Planner, or Imaging. Then, on the Imaging tab's menu, click (or tap) Show Image History.

        

     2. On the Images tab, select an image (intraoral or extraoral; X-ray or photo) or a series (such as a full mouth series or bitewings).

        

     3. If you have selected a series, under Image Navigator, click (or tap) an image of that series.

        

   • View one of the patient's most recent images.

     1. Do one of the following:

        • On the Patient menu, under Clinical, click (or tap) Imaging.

        • On the Patient menu, under Clinical, click (or tap) Chart, Progress Notes, Quick Exam, Perio, Tx Planner, or Imaging. Then, on the Imaging tab's menu, click (or tap) Show Most Recent Images.

          

     2. Click (or tap) any single image (intraoral or extraoral; X-ray or photo) or an image within a series (such as a full mouth series or bitewings).

        

   The selected image appears in the viewing area.

   

3. If the currently viewed template slot has multiple images assigned, to use an image other than the top image of the stack for the comparison, click (or tap) the Previous or Next button  at the top of the viewing area as needed to view the desired image in the stack.

   Notes:

   • The Previous button is not available if you are viewing the top image or if there is only one image.

   • The Next button is not available if you are viewing the bottom image or if there is only one image.

4. Click (or tap) Compare.

   The images that have tooth numbers in common with the selected image (the "Original") appear on the Images for tooth range panel.

   

5. If needed, filter the Images for tooth range panel to display only the images that match the filter criteria that you specify.

   Do the following:

   1. Click (or tap) the Edit button (at the top of the panel) to view the available filters.

      

   2. Set up any of the following filters:

      • Date - To view the images according to a different date, select the desired date in the list under Show images taken on. To view all images that have been acquired on and after the selected date, select the All since that day checkbox. To view the images that were acquired only on the selected date, clear the All since that day checkbox.

      • Type - To view images in any category (intraoral X-rays, intraoral photos, intraoral photos without tooth numbers assigned, extraoral X-rays, extraoral photos, CAD/CAM/iOS scans, and 3D volumes), select the All types checkbox. To view images in only certain categories, make sure the checkboxes of only those categories are selected; the other checkboxes must be cleared.

      • Teeth - If the Intraoral X-ray and/or Intraoral photo checkboxes are selected, to view those types of images for specific teeth, select the desired teeth on the Tooth Chart. The tooth filter does not apply to intraoral photos that do not have tooth numbers assigned to them and extraoral X-rays (which apply to all teeth), and extraoral photos (which apply to all teeth). To clear all tooth selections, click (or tap) the Clear selected link.

      • Show everything - To set the filter options to their default states and display all the patient's images, click (or tap) the Show everything link.

      The image list displays the images that match your filter criteria. Additionally, if you select a series of images, the first image of that series that matches the criteria is selected and shown in the viewing area.

   3. Click (or tap) the X in the upper-right corner of or anywhere outside of the Narrowing Down the Results menu to close the menu.

6. The first image on the Images for tooth range panel is selected by default, but you can select a different image to compare with the original.

7. To modify how an image is being viewed, click (or tap) the Original or Compared image, and then do any of the following for the selected image:

   • Use the (yellow or blue) Brightness/Contrast button to change the brightness and/or contrast.

   • Use the (yellow or blue) Zoom slider to zoom in and out.

   • While zoomed in on an image, drag the blue square (on the comparison image on the Images for tooth range panel) or the yellow square (on the image under Image Navigator) to pan to another part of the image.

8. Linking the images being compared allows the zooming and panning of one image to be synchronized with the other. To link images, do the following:

   1. Click (or tap) the Original or Compared image (zoomed and panned or not).

      

   2. Click (or tap) the (yellow or blue) Link button .

      The images are linked.

      Note: If you alter the zoom and/or pan of an image before linking it to the other, when you link them, the zoom factor and the position of the pan box (red box) of the other image is synchronized to be the same as the first.

   Now, as you zoom in and out and pan, both images are affected.

   

   Note: To unlink the images, click (or tap) the Link button .

9. Click (or tap) Finish Comparison.