This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for dental imaging. In one aspect, a hand piece, having a lens for capturing light for an image sensor, is configured for obtaining images of teeth in a mouth. The hand piece is provided with an orientation sensor, such as a gyroscope. The orientation sensor detects the roll, pitch, and yaw of the hand piece. In operation, an image of a tooth is captured at a reference position, and the roll, pitch, and yaw of the hand piece is determined at that position. The hand piece is moved to another position, and additional images of teeth in the mouth are not obtained until the orientation of the hand piece at the other position matches the orientation of the hand piece at the reference position. The reference and second images may be combined, and the similar orientations of the hand piece at the reference and second positions can facilitate the combination by ensuring that the reference and second images are obtained from similar perspectives.
