Dental magnification loupes are devices used by dentists and dental hygienists to improve their ability to envision what cannot be seen by the naked eye. Loupes, led by the dental operating microscope, were discovered in the 1980s to boost success rates for surgical endodontic treatment.
Loupes are usually connected to glasses frames using different mounting formats, including fully flexible front lens loupe, confined adjustable lens loupe, and through-the-lens loupes. Each one of these types has distinct expertise in terms of adjustment and ease of use. Besides, loupes are available with varying magnification strengths.
Several studies have stated that the use of loupes amongst dental students, dentists, and even dental hygienists has become widespread in many countries worldwide. Many dentistry magnifications were preferred for oral surgical flaps, dental tissue grafts, surgical periodontal treatments, various steps to endodontic therapy, carrier detection, and cavity preparation. Studies found many benefits to using loupes, such as reduced work time, improved work quality, and more comfortable detection of unfound canals.
More importantly, a well-organized review pointed out that using loupes helped reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) prevalent among dental specialists, particularly those in the hands, arms, and shoulders. It was found that little evidence, however, those loupes were compelling for easing neck pain.
However, it is essential that loupes can best be fulfilled when proper expertise and skills are procured for their use, notably during the early years of undergraduate dental study.
The most regularly used magnification tool among students is student dental loupes, followed by magnification lenses, and many students advocated for its effectiveness at advancing work quality. The preferred loupes were 2.5 times magnification and through-the-lens types.
Nevertheless, many dental faculty members also believe that loupes are not very important for undergraduate students. Some dental students also believe that using loupes has drawbacks in that dentists might rely on loupes in their future dental practice.
Loupes come in several magnifications depending on the work being undertaken and the particular user’s preference. You will often face a range of opinions; some people have three or four pairs of loupes with a variety of different magnifications. Basically, there isn’t a right or wrong level of exaggeration to choose from; however, in our opinion, it’s often advisable, to begin with, a lower level of magnification and then steadily increase to an upper level of magnification in line with practicing in your particular path in dentistry.
For general day-to-day dentistry work or the students in learning, phase uses 2.5–3.5x magnification. This gives an excellent overall field of view of the working area while having some level of detail on specific areas. Naturally, an upper level of magnification loupes is often bought later as a second pair of loupes or for one specializing in a particular line of dentistry such as Endodontics.
It is necessary to remember that as the level of magnification increases, the field of view decreases. Hence, there is always a counterbalance between choosing a magnification that gives a good detail level and enough peripheral image to continue working effectively and efficiently.
There are several ways through which one purchase dental loupes:
- Online from a company that renders loupes directly via their website (e.g., Student Loupes Company)
- Face-to-face, at a dental trade program, or loupes fair
- Face-to-face, from a sales representatives during a study visit, a method used by traditional loupes companies
No matter which way the loupes are obtained, the method is always the same:
- A magnification is chosen after consulting with the rep / online with the company
- A-frame style and color are picked based on your preferences
- Computations are taken, including operating and interpupillary ranges
- Any aspects of an optical prescription are filmed
- A headlight can be attached depending on the user’s decisions.
Investing in a good pair of loupes with light presents a magnified and illuminated view of the mouth. This reduces the urge for a dentist to bend towards their patient to see what they are performing. Because the loupes are installed to a predefined working distance, the image will blur, forcing the dentist back upright into an ergonomic position if the dentist is too close to the patient. Longterm, this preserves both the health of the user and their capacity to continue their career.
Most dental students begin with 3.0x magnification, nearly always in TTL loupes. This magnification is the ideal balance between enhanced detail (vs. 2.5x) and a larger field of view (vs. 3.5x). A more substantial area of view makes it easier for students to advance their instruments into the magnified field and get used to working with student loupes.
Student loupes provide a more significant depth of field than flip-up loupes, enabling students to treat all kinds of patients (even those unable to recline in the chair fully). It also makes it more comfortable to angulate dental handpieces during treatment. We provide a wide range of dental surgical loupes and headlights at Schultz Loupes to meet the needs of any dentist, dental hygienist, and surgeon in the world.