Dental loupes are a pre-eminent item in clinical practice and often is the cause of physical stress on professionals dealing with oral health. Dentists are involved in fine repetitive movements and prolonged static postures while examining the oral cavity., fixing any dental issue, or investigating for damage.
Dental loupes and their proper fit are important for individuals to maintain an ergonomic posture. This is because lack of proper posture has now come to threaten work productivity, career longevity, income, and the overall health of the individual. Dental loupes are primarily used for magnification so that the chances of neck flexion are less and the body of the user can maintain a natural posture with a straight spine.
The dental practice involves the dentist tilt the head and get a closer view of the intraoral structures whilst involving in a non-neutral neck posture. To ensure that the dental loupes are properly measured, there are a few steps that need to be considered before purchase, and even during use.
Are Your Loupes Measured Properly – Use The Below To Find!
In contemporary practice, dental loupes have become an integral part. There are several materials used to design the loupe frames, the colors, wireless lights, and different strengths of magnification to make sure every individual has his comfortable pair. Measuring the dental loupes properly quite simply depends on 4 fitting factors, namely – the angle of declination, the working distance, the coaxial alignment, and the depth of field. While selecting a pair of dental loupes that is best suited for your health, consider the factors below.
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Compare The Magnification Power Of Different Brands Of Dental Loupes
To ensure the loupes you buy are properly measured, it is important to compare different dental loupes by looking at a target and compare the magnification side-by-side. However, in some cases, the technique is considered misleading. For instance, an object tends to appear bigger when seen from a closer distance, and when moved farther away, looks smaller.
The surgical loupes are designed to work within a short working distance so that objects seen within the loupes appear larger and magnified. The dental loupes make The magnification look powerful so that while working from a realistic working distance, the distance effect does not create a negative impact, precisely does not let the objects appear smaller due to the magnification effect. Compare the magnification power of different brands of loupes by comparing the working distance.
For instance, if a surgical loupe has a working distance of 15 inches and another one has a working distance of 16 inches, the difference in magnification will be 7% when viewed through it. The two dimensional and three-dimensional objects appear 15 and 20% larger respectively. It may seem a tad bit difficult to compare the magnification accurately, however, make sure you are not missing on the task entirely.
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Measure The Angle Of Declination
The angle present between the actual line of sight of the clinician and the physiological support line of the spectacles is the angle of declination. The criteria of neck flexion have stressed the angle of declination to be considered as an important factor in loupe selection.
The angle differs from user to user, as such it must be measured accurately to ensure proper ergonomics of the neck and the cervical region. Most dental loupes are not ergonomic and therefore clinicians have to tilt the neck and back leading to extreme pain. Remember, the angle of declination should be equal to the downward rotation angle of the eyes.
Although the exact set of guidelines to determine the declination angle is different for every item and every user of the loupes, look for an optimal angle that can help you retain the ergonomic posture. Make a note not to use prescription safety glasses while measuring the angle. Keep your hands in a balanced and relaxed working position and measure the distance accurately.
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Measure The Resolution Of Lenses
Dental loupes use lenses designed with advanced computer technologies. They are not designed using proprietary designs and function similarly to the lenses of telescopes. The resolution of lenses needs to be determined to assess the image quality and the resolution capability which further help analyze the size of objective lenses required.
For small objective lenses, the resolution of the oculus will be lower and vice versa. The alignment of the two oculi to each other determines the resolution capacity of the loupes. As a common fact, the resolution of the oculus is higher than the eye resolution. Proper alignment of the oculus will create a positive impact on the resolution of the loupe image.
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Inter-Pupillary Distance
Another important criterion to ensure your surgical loupes are properly measured is to purchase them with the correct interpupillary distance. It is applicable only for custom TTL loupes and HD loupes. The distance between the center of the pupil of both eyes is the inter-pupillary distance.
To measure the same, hold a ruler above your eyes keeping it parallel with the floor touching the forehead. Take a picture of your face and use tape to make sure the distance is correct.
Keep the flash of the camera on to ensure the white dot in the center of each pupil is visible. Keep the ruler parallel with the floor and not bent, and take the picture at eye level. Repeat this step twice or thrice to have a total of three photos and measure the actual distance.
Beware As A Buyer
There are different products in the market assuring proper measurement of dental loupes based on marketing requirements. Some can be misleading and prepared with several scientific issues. While purchasing your dental loupes, determine the requirements, specifically, the resolution, and the light transmission being the first two.
Reputable companies meet these requirements and prepare dental loupes as per the guidelines set by authoritative bodies. However, the resolution does not alone guarantee image quality. Make sure that, the oculars are aligned precisely to provide the fine alignment required for best binocular vision and the best ergonomics.
At Loupedirect, you will find a variety of dental loupes with different frame settings, colors, and customization. All the products are ANSI certified, therefore chances of improper fit do not occur at all. You are free to browse the products and get yourself protective equipment today.
