Loupes for both glasses and contact users

[predentalstudent5321]

Hey guys! So I'm in the process of buying my first pair of loupes (YAY!) but was wondering if any of you lovely dental students/dentists could help me out Since I wear glasses and contacts I wanted loupes that would work for both. I also didn't want any flip-up loupes because they felt weird when I tried them on. Do any of you guys have suggestions?

The only loupes I found that worked perfectly for my situation was the ones made by Q-Optics. The nose piece was removable so you could switch it out with a nose piece that had prescription lenses attached to them, thus being able to use the loupes when I would wear either contacts or glasses. DFV has prescription loupes but I don't think you could use them while wearing contacts, right? Any insight on these Q-Optics loupes and any other TTL loupe suggestions would be great!

P.S. I wanted to get 3.0x magnification and was wondering if it's sufficient enough, or should I go higher? I felt that 2.5 and 3.0 was very similar for me so I'm planning on just going the extra step up.

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[aspiringdds02]

I personally have Q optics and would highly recommend them. I don't have a prescription by my gf does and she also went with Q optics. As you mentioned the prescription is put on a lens that can attach and detach from the loupes quite easily. The nice thing is that they also do not charge for adding a prescription which is a bonus. With Q optics you have the choice of 2.5 and 3.5 mag. I chose to go with 3.5 while my gf went with the 2.5. At the end of the day she is pleased with the magnification but I have heard classmates who went with 2.5 say they wish they had gone with 3.5... Personally I would suggest the 3.5. If you get them and don't like the magnification you could always send them back in and get the 2.5 within the first month at no cost to you. However, if you start with the 2.5 then you will never know if you would have preferred additional magnification.

 

[predentalstudent5321]

Thank you so much for your response! Yes, they did mention that the first prescription insert is free which is another added bonus also if you ever need a new prescription, it costs only $100 and you don't need to ship in your loupes to get it re-customized! Everything seems to be pointing in the direction to q-optics so I'm glad you gave me some reassurance if I was to go with the 3.5x, should I choose their new 3.5x EF TTL prism loupes or just their regular 3.5x TTL loupes? I REALLY liked the EF prism loupes because they're SOOOOOO light (I think I heard them say 60 grams)! BUT I never asked questions about them cuz they were set on selling their 2.5x and 3.0x loupes Also I think they're a lot more expensive than their regular 3.5x loupes. How much were yours? Again, I don't know any prices for their 3.5x loupes because they convinced me to get 3.0x or less, but now I'm thinking about going against their recommendation haha

 

[aspiringdds02]

Hmmm very interesting! I just checked the Q optics site and noticed the prism loupes you speak of. They must be new because when I purchased my loupes a year ago those were not available. So I cannot comment on the differences between my 3.5x and those EF prisms. What I will say is that I have found that I don't really need the expanded field. With my current loupes I can still see half an arch which is plenty. To be honest when you are doing restorative work you really only need to see the tooth you are working on plus the adjacent teeth. Like I said I see those and way more with the regular field 3.5x. If I recall student pricing on the loupes was 895. The price was the same for all magnifications when I purchased so the 3.5 was a no brainer for me. I'm not sure if they still offer that pricing. Also, a light is a MUST. I'd go as far as to say that buying loupes without the light is pointless. You absolutely NEED that extra illumination with loupes. Are you an NYU student by chance?

P.S. Almost all reps with try to get students to purchase the lower magnification loupes that they sell. Why? Well because they know that eventually the student will want more magnification and end up coming back to buy another pair 3rd or 4th year.

 

[predentalstudent5321]

Yeah I think they just came out with them this past August? And very true, I never tried the regular 3.5x so I didn't know how much you could see with them. I guess the EF is there to just make it easier for people to acclimate themselves to loupes since you are able to see more teeth despite the extra magnification haha. In regards to a light, I'm also planning on getting the ultralight. And no I don't go to NYU, I'm actually a student at UMKC

 

[aspiringdds02]

Ohhh okay. I only ask because I would have let you try mine if you were an NYU student. But yea try on both 3.5x's and see which one you like the best. I actually contacted the NYU q optic rep and he will be bringing the new prism loupes the next time he comes to the school so I will definitely be checking those out! I couldn't get any information on the pricing for the new loupes yet...my guess is that they will be quite expensive.

 

[RubinoDentistry]

I wear glasses and find that Q optics work really well.
______________________
Ross Rubino
Rubino Dentistry -- Chicago Dental Office

 

[sgv]

I would get 3.5x prismatic Heine flip up loupes with prescription inserts. Flip ups give you an angle of declination that cannot be matched by through the lens. With greater angle of declination you can sit up straighter and become less fatigued at the end of the day. Heine and Zeiss loupes are also regarded as having the greatest range of working distance so you can see clearly at the listed working distance and several more inches away from that median than their competitors. I've had Heine and DFV loupes and Heine had the best resolution.

I think 2.5x is too low of a magnification to be worth purchasing. I think any Galilean loupe above 3.0x is also not worth purchasing because of the low field of view. I like having everything being in focus and seeing an entire arch rather than three teeth. Prismatic loupes are the way to go for any magnification above 3.5x. These are also pricey and heavy.

 

[THS]

I like the comfort of Q Optics, but they seem very fragile to me. If you can be very careful with your loupes, they should be fine. I have Lumadent flip-ups, and they seem more sturdy to me. And they are very affordable (I paid around $850 for loupes and light). They also have prescription inserts.

 

[M1K3AA]

I wear contacts and glasses, I plan on having loupes made to my prescription and not wear contacts because contacts are annoying and I'd rather not wear them. Sometimes when I blink the contact gets thrown off and I find myself blinking several times in an attempt to get them repositioned - no thank you..