At your last dental appointment, chances are your dentist or hygienist was wearing a set of eyewear with two microscope lenses mounted to the front. These specialized glasses are called loupes and serve a number of uses in the dental setting. Take a look at how loupes make dentistry safer and easier for both the patient and doctor!
The most obvious benefit of using loupes comes from their ability to magnify the small spaces within the mouth. Many times your dentist or hygienist is try to visualize unthinkably small objects and surfaces, often times smaller than the tip of a pencil. This becomes extremely difficult when you factor in saliva, patient movement and poor lighting. Loupes give the practitioner the best chance of visualizing and treating your teeth. In addition to their magnification abilities, many loupes are also equipped with spotlights that direct focused light at the area of interest. This allows the user to utilize a strength of illumination that would be impossible from overhead lighting.
Beyond better imaging, loupes help the dentist/hygienist to improve their posture and reduce fatigue. Dentistry is a physically taxing profession that often requires providers to strain their backs and shoulders to complete treatments. Loupes provide relief by allowing the user to assume a more upright seating position and discourage "leaning in" to see more detail. More comfortable daily work leads to a longer career and less chronic back, shoulder and neck pains later in life. Many loupe manufacturers design the angles of their lenses to guarantee a nearly vertical seated position- ideal for prolonged daily work.
Loupes have helped improve the patient experience in dentistry by providing more thorough care at a quicker pace. If you would like to know more about emerging technologies that are improving the dental field, please give our office a call!
