Choosing the perfect loupes

Loupes have become a standard equipment in almost every dental clinic, being used by dental surgeons, hygienists and OHTs. The importance of loupes lies not only in the ability to see more details and preform better work1, but also to improve dental skill and work posture2. The increase in demand led new players to the market, and one can get quite confused when choosing such an important instrument that sits on our eyes and affects our bodies and professional outcomes. Byron Medical and Admetec collected data from more than 15 years of experience with customizing surgical loupes to tens of thousands of customers and formed the following recommendations for choosing the perfect pair of loupes. Due to our commercial interest in this article, please conduct your own research. We are sure you will reach similar conclusions.

Magnification

There are two main factors that play a role when choosing the perfect magnification: The work you do and your past experience with loupes. Procedures that require seeing minute details such as aesthetic dentistry and RCT would benefit from having a higher magnification (6.0X-10X in Ergo or 4.8X and above in conventional TTL), while most dental procedures that require a larger field of view would do just fine with a medium magnification (4.0X-5.0X in Ergo and 2.5X-4.0X in conventional TTL). Traditionally, hygienists and OHTs used to go for lower magnification that allowed for the biggest field of view. However, recently more and more are opting for a higher magnification (usually 4.0X in Ergo or 3.2X in TTL). Social media is another contributor to the movement towards higher magnification. It is believed that due to the capability to share cases online, and the high details presented in these cases, more dental professionals opt for higher magnification so that they could see the same amount of details that are presented in the cases they are exposed to on social media.

Posture and comfort.

Look after your posture. As one of the first companies to launch Ergonomic loupes in the market, we have seen the huge impact these loupes have had on customers. Hearing phrases like “It’s been a lifesaver” are a blessed routine for us. We thus strongly encourage all of our customers to opt for the Ergo loupes, and for those who choose to go for conventional TTL we can guide how to maintain a healthy posture and minimize the risk of musculoskeletal injury. We found that most people get completely used to the new posture within 2 weeks to 6 months and the benefits are definitely worth the effort.

Weight and fit.

Loupes can sit on your nose bridge for 6-8 hours a day, so every gram counts. Make sure you feel comfortable when trying out the loupes because they will feel around twice as heavy at the end of your work day. Check the weight of the product and remember that the higher the magnification – so is the weight. Wireless light is the comfortable option that can add anywhere between 15-30 grams to the total weight. Ensure the frames are comfortably sitting on your face. Both temple tips touching the top of your ears and the nose pad resting softly and equally on both sides of your nose bridge. Talk to your rep if any adjustment is required. Companies who value customer service will be there for you even after you’ve received your loupes and help you in adjusting to them.

1. Abasseri, T., Ha, W. Value of including loupes in prosthodontic and endodontic components of dental degrees: a systematic review. Br Dent J (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6112-2
2. Wajngarten D, Botta AC, Garcia PPNS. Magnification loupes in dentistry: A qualitative study of dental students’ perspectives. Eur J Dent Educ. 2021 May;25(2):305-309. doi: 10.1111/eje.12605. Epub 2020 Oct 11. PMID: 32976674.