Welcome to the ultimate guide to dental loupes, also known by many other names, such as dental loupes, surgical loupes, magnifying loupes, binocular loupes, or dental magnifying glasses. Next, we are going to explain all the particularities of a tool that has become essential for many dentists in their day to day.
What are dental loupes?
Dental loupes are optical instruments that allow you to see an enlarged image of the object you are looking at. These are glasses that incorporate a magnification system in each lens.
It is a tool that allows the dentist to work more comfortably and perform any procedure more precisely.
Benefits of using dental loupes
The advantages of using dental loupes inpatient interventions can be summarized in five main blocks:
- Improves visualization of the patient’s oral cavity. Better diagnosis and treatment are achieved thanks to a better view of any detail.
- They improve the ergonomics of the dentist. As explained in detail in this article, surgical loupes help prevent injuries to the neck, shoulders, and back joints, muscles, and ligaments. These ailments, which more than 80% of dentists suffer from, are caused by forced postures and inclinations towards the patient with angles greater than 30%.
- Reduces eye fatigue. It causes less stress on the lens, contributing to the presbyopia delay. It also allows a more comfortable work in long interventions and throughout the day.
- They promote high performance. The widening of the visual field allows dentists to work more comfortably, better, and longer without straining the eyes, neck, and back, so they are more efficient.
- They give a more professional image. The patient’s perception is of greater confidence when seeing that there are tools that will help their diagnosis and treatment be the best possible.
How to choose dental loupes and get them right?
As we detail in this step-by-step guide to choosing dental loupes, it would be a mistake to buy a model without trying it first. To ensure that the magnifying glasses are of high quality, you have to look at an image of a small object with straight black lines, like the one shown below:
If the resolution of the lenses is terrible, you will not see those lines straight and straightforward, but a little wavy, blurred, or with a blue hue next to black.
The working distance must be considered while maintaining correct postural ergonomics to carry out the test. This distance depends on factors such as the anatomy of the dentist or whether he works sitting or standing.
Another aspect to consider when choosing the dental loupes that best suit each dentist is the level of magnification. This usually varies depending on personal preferences, although some specialties require more or less increase. Generally recommended:
- 2.5x / 3.0x / 3.5x in implantology, dental hygiene or general dentistry.
- 3.5x / 4.0x in endodontics or periodontics.
- 4.5x / 5.0x and more in maxillofacial surgery or laboratory work.
Another important aspect is that you must feel comfortable with the magnifying glasses. It is as vital that they are light as they have a reasonable weight compensation between the nose bridge and the glasses frame. They must adapt as best as possible to the physiognomy of each user.
Finally, it is advisable to move your head sideways, up, and down to check that the field of vision is wide and the loupes focus correctly from various angles.
Opinions of dentists who use binocular loupes
Dr. Laura Warburton, recognized with the “Prosthetics” award for excellence, has always surrounded herself with the most innovative technology in her clinic to select her daily work and the results of her interventions.
Since her beginnings as a dentist, she has always used dental loupes, recognizing that she would be unable to get rid of them after so long. She assures that “they have become an essential tool in my work. I am fully aware that I could not work without them; they are a vitally important element to ensure the success of my interventions”.
Another dentist giving her take on dental loupes is Melanie Joyce, who specializes in dental therapy after six years as a nurse. “As a dental nurse, I needed a good field of vision to ensure that the patient was suctioning correctly and being able to closely follow the treatment being applied, something that interested me a lot for my future profession. Sometimes the professional I was assisting would joke with me that if I got any closer, I would fall on the patient, but it was the only way to get the best possible view of the procedure,” she says.
Joyce adds, “as a dental therapist, the same thing happened to me; I tried to get as close as possible to the patient to get a full field of vision, but I felt I lacked light. Also, my back was continually hurting due to awkward posture, and that was the factor that just convinced me to try dental loupes. Once you have used them, you wonder how you could work so long without them”.
The best brand of dental loupes on the market
Univet is considered the most reputable manufacturer of dental loupes on the market. His glasses stand out for their incredible lightness, elegant design, and excellent quality, allowing you to see every millimeter of the oral cavity in detail.
Univet is the only brand on the market developing and manufacturing all its magnifying glasses based on materials such as anti-allergic medical PVC, palladium and rhodium alloys, carbon fiber, and medical-grade polyamides frames, and mineral glass for optics.
Our R&D allows for the design of frames and optics for their perfect integration, the study of weights, and their compensation for greater comfort. In addition, it provides the broadest range of products that allows each case to be customized and the loupes to be adapted to the needs of each user.
Despite being specialized in dental loupes, it is a brand with experience in creating professional glasses for other sectors where there is some danger to the eyes—for example, those doctors who work with X-ray lasers or for people exposed to welding.
One of Univet’s star models is the ITA loupes, a design inspired by the legendary Italian brand Vespa. Its high-definition optical system is ideal for obtaining sharp vision and reducing visual fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders.
Do dentists use magnifying glasses?
Dental loupes are the magnifying glasses that dentists wear to enlarge everything they see in the mouth. … Dentists can better see the shapes they are carving or preparing in the natural teeth and the final restorations they provide for their patients.
What is a dental loupe?
Dental magnification loupes are a tool used by dentists and dental hygienists to enhance their ability to visualize what cannot be seen by the naked eye. Loupes, preceded by the dental operating microscope, were invented in the 1980s to increase success rates for surgical endodontic treatment.
How much do surgical loupes cost?
Professional-grade surgical loupes from leading optic manufacturers will generally range from $500 – $900+.
What are dental glasses?
Dental loupes are the magnifying glasses your dentist wears when examining your teeth. This gives us a complete and expanded view of your mouth during your visit.
What are the dentist glasses called?
dental loupes
Dental loupes are one of the most important tools a dentist can have. So how do dental loupes work? They’re a lot like magnifying glasses, except they don’t have a handle. Instead, the magnifying lenses are attached to the protective glasses dentists wear.
What magnification do dental loupes need?
2.5x
Dentists and dental hygienists vary in the magnification level they desire. Most prefer 2.5x for day-to-day use. Some practitioners use up to 4x or more for routine use, but many use these higher magnifications for only some procedures.
How do you use a dental loupe?
Light reflects off of the surface of a tooth.
The light is reflected off the tooth’s surface and then hits the lens in the dental loupes.
The refracted light then passes through the dentist’s pupil.
The light focuses on the retina, and the dentist’s brain produces an image.
Why do dentists wear loupes?
Loupes in dentistry help to provide enhanced visibility and thus accuracy during treatment. In addition to improving the quality of dentistry, loupes have been designed to be ergonomic and provide greater comfort to practicing dentists. One of the most common uses of loupes is for endodontic treatment.
Do dentists use loupes?
But despite its awkward and robotic effect on the physical look of the wearer, many dentists still choose to use them. There are many reasons why dentists should wear magnification devices such as the loupes. One reason is connected to ergonomics.