Why Loupes? The Benefits of Dental Loupes

Why should I use dental loupes?

Using a pair of loupes regardless of the field of work provides the dentist or surgeon with immediate benefits. By providing a magnified view of their patient, loupes improve the quality of clinical work and ensure more accurate diagnoses. They also enable the maintenance of a correct posture, ensuring comfortable working and reducing the chance of chronic back and neck pain.

There are five major benefits of using loupes on daily basis:

1. Enhanced visual acuity
   
2. Reduced chronic back and shoulder pain
   
3. Reduced eye strain
   
4. Reduced stress levels
   
5. Improved treatment outcomes  

1. Enhanced Visual Acuity

Seeing an operating field at increased magnification enables more precise clinical work, improving outcomes. For example, root canal orifices are more easily identified, reducing the time spent during endodontic treatment.  Teeth receiving crowns are effortlessly prepared, resulting in better-fitting lab work, less stress and happier patients. From a dento-legal perspective, small carious lesions or fracture lines in prepared teeth that may be missed by the naked eye can be readily seen under magnification, reducing the risk of litigation.

2. Reduced chronic back and shoulder pain

​Poor vision and insufficient lighting when performing dental treatment often results in poor operator posture. Dentists experience a greater amount of neck and back pain than any other profession - with around 70% reporting musculoskeletal pain.  Around a third of dentists retire early due to chronic back pain.

Investing in a good set of loupes, with a light, provides a magnified and illuminated view of the mouth. This eliminates the desire for a dentist to bend towards their patient in order to see what they are doing. Because the loupes are set to a predefined working distance, if the dentist is too close to the patient the image will blur, forcing the dentist back upright into an ergonomic position.  Longterm, this protects  both the health of the user and their ability to continue their career.

The prevalence of neck pain in dentists is around 70%

3. Reduced eye strain

High levels of concentration can be tiring for the eyes, contributing to sore eyes and headaches at the end of the day. As already mentioned, due to an increase in magnification, critical details such as early carious lesions and small root canal orifices can be identified far more easily, areas which may otherwise be easily missed with the naked eye.

4. Reduced stress levels

By being able to see the tooth more clearly, the dentist can operate with reduced stress levels.

5. Improved treatment outcomes

Because the image is enlarged, a dentist can be more precise in the treatment performed. For example, teeth can be prepared for crowns with improved accuracy, as the dentist can see the exact location of the tip of the drill bur on the tooth.
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REFERENCES

1. Spear FM. One clinician’s journey through the use of magnification in dentistry. Advanced Esthetics and Interdisciplinary Dentistry. 2006; 2:30-32.
   
2. Pîrvu C, Pătraşcu I, Pîrvu D, Ionescu C. The dentist’s operating posture – ergonomic aspects. Journal of Medicine and Life 2014;7(2):177-182.
   
3. Lehto TU, Helenius HY, Alaranta HT. Musculo skeletal symptoms of dentists assessed by a multidisciplinary approach. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1991;19:38-44.

When should I buy dental loupes?

Evidence suggests that it is beneficial to start using dental loupes in training as a student to develop good postural habits. Using loupes early on in your career also enables you to see that you are performing clinical procedures correctly, and reduces the stress that can be felt when working on teeth that are hard to access.


REFERENCES

1. Maillet JP, Millar AM, JM Burke, Maillet MA, Maillet WA, Neish NR. Effect of Magnification Loupes on Dental Hygiene Student Posture. Journal of Dental Education. 2008;72(1): 33-44

Are dental loupes worth it?

Yes! Dental loupes provide a dentist with a magnified view of their patient's mouth, improving the quality of clinical work and ensuring accurate diagnoses. They also enable the dentist to maintain a proper posture whilst treating their patient, reducing chronic back and shoulder pain. 

Our Solution

​Loupes are traditionally exceedingly expensive. Once we realised that they didn't have to be that way we set out to change the way loupes are done. We do this by removing the costs that traditional loupes companies need to cover, such as sales reps, expensive offices, and large trade-show budgets, and pass these savings on to you. The result? Lightweight, comfortable, great quality loupes at truly affordable prices.

Find out more about what we offer by clicking one of the links above, or by visiting our homepage.