A guide to choosing and buying a dental loupe

 

Do you want to see more clearly, avoid back pain and provide the most accurate diagnosis to the patient? It’s time to get to know dental loupes!

some notes:

Magnification: For most dental work such as scaling, restorative treatments, flapping or implantology, 2.5x to 3.5x magnification is suitable. For more precise treatments such as root treatment or veneers and bridges (due to the importance of precise finish line cutting), loupes with 3.5 to 6 times magnification are useful. Basically, high magnifications are used for laboratory work (such as precise wax up), so in short, we can say that a loupe with 3.5 times magnification can meet most needs.

Depth of field: Depth of field is the area where all the elements in the image are clear. The greater the depth of field, the greater the clear area in front of and behind the focal point. In a photo with a shallow depth of field, the area behind the focus point of the loop may be blurred.

A wide depth of field is important because it reduces fatigue and helps you maintain optimal posture. Because you can see more range without having to change your position or adjust your position.

Field of view: The field of view refers to the area that can be seen through the loupes (for example, a tooth or an entire quadrant). Magnification is directly related to field of view. High magnification loupes show more detail but benefit from a smaller field of view. In contrast, loupes with lower magnification take advantage of a wider field of view with less detail. Many beginners to loupes choose lower magnification because a wider field of view will be easier to work with at first. Conversely, those with more experience may opt for higher magnification.

Light: A bright oral cavity not only aids in diagnosis and treatment, but also reduces any potential eye strain. Most loupe lights are placed in the bridge of the frame and between the two eyes and have several adjustment points for the user’s convenience. There is usually a wire connected to the battery; Or, in some cases, they may be placed in the frame, which may increase the weight of the loops. Another thing that is important about the loop light is the light color of the light; It is better that this color of light is as close as possible to the color of natural daylight so that the real color of the teeth can be recognized better. Finally, it must be ensured that the battery of the product has a long life.

Weight: In a working day that lasts between 6 and 8 hours on average, and dental loupes are probably used most of these hours, loupe weight will become an important issue. Heavy loupes are not only bulky but can cause discomfort in the nose, leading to pain and even headaches. For this reason, light materials are often used in loops. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the weight of your loops when choosing your set. Of course, it is important to note that a light loop is not necessarily better than a heavy loop. Some heavier loupes can bring a more comfortable feeling due to superior weight distribution. The low weight of dental loupes and dental caps reduces the fatigue of the dentist’s eyes and body, as well as increases the efficiency of the loup and ultimately increases the professional life of the dentist, and from there As splashing of saliva and water is inevitable during work, the waterproof feature makes it possible for the dentist to wash and disinfect the loupe.

Features of dental glasses and caps

Dental ophthalmoscope is one of the things that should be carefully considered before buying it. In this article, in a brief but comprehensive way, the influential cases in this matter have been considered. Among the important factors to guide the selection and purchase of eye loupe, the following can be mentioned:

Loop zoom
Eyepiece field of view
Depth of view of the loupe
Eyepiece viewing distance
Loop resolution
The realism of the image
Being achromatic
3D image
Dental loupe weight
The waterproofness of the dental loupe

An important thing that should be mentioned in the guide for choosing and buying an eye loupe is the ability to choose the most ideal viewing distance, that is, the distance between the dentist’s eye and the workplace in a suitable and ergonomic position. In addition to the magnification, the field of view also depends on the viewing distance, and the longer the viewing distance, the greater the field of view and the extent of the visible area.

Resolution means the ability of the loop to separate shapes close to each other and show details with appropriate resolution. Resolution is related to two factors, field of view and depth of view.
Among other things, the guide for choosing and buying an eyepiece when buying is to compare different loupes by looking at the details that can only be seen with high magnification.

The first sign of the low quality of the dental eyepiece is inappropriate resolution, chromatic aberration and spherical aberration. The lack of color error, which is the achromatic feature of the loupe, means the ability to see all colors. Improper optics cause wrong reflection of different wavelengths and color change.

The first color seen during a color error is blue. To make sure that there is no error in the color of the ophthalmoscope, you can look at the white paper that has black lines, and seeing a halo of blue around the black lines indicates the presence of a color error and the lack of quality of the dental loupe. Absence of spherical error (astigmatism) and the realness of the image means seeing a straight line straight and without curvature. The lack of smoothness of the image observed by the eyepiece indicates the spherical error of the eyepiece. In low-quality loops, the image is seen as spherical or bent.

To recognize the quality of dental loupes in the guide for choosing and buying ophthalmic loupes, looking at a sample graph is very helpful, and looking at images with complex colors will confuse you.

In the guide for choosing and buying eye loup, note that before choosing eye loup, just like choosing prescription glasses, the distance between the two centers of the eye (InterPupillary Distance – IPD) must be measured and the center of the lenses according to the number obtained. be set Magnification power refers to the ability of the loupe to magnify the image (not the image resolution). The lowest magnification creates a wide field of view, and with increasing magnification, the field of view decreases, but in this magnification, more details can be seen. In the guide for choosing and buying a dental ophthalmoscope, the depth of vision is definitely mentioned; The depth of the area can be focused and observed when looking with a dental loupe.

The amount of depth of view depends on the amount of available light, eye (optical) design, magnification power and the eye’s ability to focus. The size of the depth of view of the dental eyepiece has a direct relationship with the magnification and the working distance. So that in low magnification and long viewing distance, the depth of view is greater and vice versa.

In summary, we mention some important points when buying a loop:

1- If you wear glasses, your priority should be hat loupes, or if you want a loupe, it is better to go to an optometrist after buying a loupe and put a medical lens loupe instead of the glasses frame.

2- If you want to use fixed loupes without the ability to change the lens angle and vertical height, like the famous Orange Dental brands, we recommend that you buy in person or ask the seller for a test and return period before buying this loup.

3- If you are doing precise and high-sensitivity treatments such as cosmetic repairs, denervation, etc., we advise you to choose higher magnifications such as 3.5X.

4- Never clean the lenses with disinfectants, which will cause the surface of the lens to become cloudy over time.

Classification of dental loupes

In general, loupes have two types of hats and glasses, and the hat model is more recommended for people who wear glasses. However, after buying a loupe and visiting an optometrist, people who wear glasses can get their dental loupe glasses fixed and use these loupe glasses without any problems. Some famous brands of dental loupes available in Iran can be mentioned: Orange Dental, Zumax, Rixi, etc. You can choose the best loop according to your individual characteristics and wishes by searching the Ecodent website and checking the features of the loops together.