A method for obtaining an intra-oral image, the method executed at least in part by a computer system, emits illumination from an intra-oral camera toward an object that is within the mouth of a patient, then obtains image data content of the object at an image sensor of the intra-oral camera. The image content obtained from the imaging sensor is displayed and one or more movement signals indicative of movement of the intra-oral camera along at least two of three mutually orthogonal axes is obtained. The one or more obtained movement signals are interpreted as an operator instruction corresponding to a predetermined movement pattern. At least the display of the image content is changed according to the operator instruction.
