Which loupes?

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FrenchyDentist

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Hello, first of all, sorry for my bad english

Why?
I'm dentist since 2012 and I never worked with loupes but I decided to buy some to improve my work quality and my posture. I do omnipratic, I think my work is nice but when I take photos I can see many things that I cannot see with bare eyes, so I want to see everything now :)

Which mag?
I have tested some Orascoptic loupes and I have narrowed my choice between Eyezoom and Eyezoom Mini, I really like the fact you can change the mag according to what you do. The Eyezoom Mini seems perhaps better for me with 2.5 and 3.5 mag than the Eyezoom with its 3, 4, and 5 mag because I have never worked before with loupes and I think it is easier begin with the 2.5 mag and switch to 3.5 after. Is that a good reflexion, or should I go directly to the higher mag of the Eyezoom?

Which angle of declination?
It's here that the problem occurs : for the moment I have a bad posture when I work (bended forward) and I want loupes to improve my posture as well.
I have read that the max declination angle by Orascoptic is 40° but in fact a study has proven that the measured angle is often less than the one claimed by a lot of brands.
Is the max angle available really 40° or not? If not, which brand allow to go to high declination angle? I've seen Surgitel claims loud that its frames allow better declination angle than other brand, what do you think?
Which declination angle have you choosen for your loupes, and does it allow to you to adopt a good posture?

Which frame?
I like XV1 but I want the one which allows me to maximise the declination angle

Which light?
Really want it, XV1 or Endeavour despite I don't like the wire

Thank you
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I would say start with at least 3.5. I started with 3.5 in dental school and I love it. All of my friends who got 2.5 in dental school ended up regretting that they didn't get 3.5 instead. Even with regular field 3.5 (I have designs for vision), I can still see a quad pretty well.

What I will say is actually more game changing than the loupes though, is the light, you have to get a light. No more struggling with the overhead light, it goes exactly where you're looking. I don't even use the overhead light anymore, and that makes patients happier as well!
 
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Thank you for your answer.
My wonder is : is a mag more than 3.5 usefull for general dentistry? (I have a microscope for endo)
If not, I go with Eyezoom Mini, which are less heavy and cost less as well.
By the way what are the prices of the Eyezoom and Eyezoom Mini in USA? Here in Europe it is 4200 (swiss francs) for Eyezoom and 3400 for Eyezoom Mini.
 
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I think 3.5 is the sweet spot for general dentistry and extractions. Not sure of the prices of those, they don't really advertise, plus you can usually get discounts from the standard prices. Like I said though, look into getting a light as well, it'll change how you practice!
 
I will take the light for sure, but I don't know if I take a Endeavour with the wire or the all-in-one solution, the XV1, which seems convenient but more heavy and perhaps less durable.
 
Most of my classmates who went with the 2.5x magnification regretted it and paid for the 3.5x magnification. A few of my classmates have since increased to 4.5x magnification lenses. Apparently it is possible to find 4.5x mag loupes from Orascoptic with the same field of vision as our 3.5x mag Designs for Vision loupes. I don't personally recommend DFV loupes or lights.
 
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Yes but the Eyezoom Mini has 2.5 and 3.5 mag, so the question could be : is the 2.5 mag useless?
The Eyezoom seems good with the range of mag but it weights 97g, 30g more than the Mini.
If someone says me that I will never use the 2.5mag of the Mini and says me that the 5x mag of the Eyezoom is usefull, I wiil go with this one...
 
I have the mini’s I rarely use the 2.5x other then for recalls/exams and some fixed. I wish I had the zooms. Maybe I’ll buy them as a graduation gift to myself.
 
I went from 3.0x to 5.5x during dental school and I have never looked back. I have found them to be extremely useful for every procedure, even when I did prophies and perio in school. Sometimes they are even helpful for denture adjustments and such.

Surgitel or orascoptic will give you the most ergonomic loupes, which is some of the best money you can spend.
 
FrenchyDentist said:
Yes but the Eyezoom Mini has 2.5 and 3.5 mag, so the question could be : is the 2.5 mag useless?
The Eyezoom seems good with the range of mag but it weights 97g, 30g more than the Mini.
If someone says me that I will never use the 2.5mag of the Mini and says me that the 5x mag of the Eyezoom is usefull, I wiil go with this one...
Click to expand...
I have the Eyezooms and if weight is not an issue for you, I would go with that rather than the Mini. I use the 5x mag whenever I am doing endo, my default is 4.0 for everything else. Sometimes when giving injections, I might use the 3.0 to better see my landmarks.
 
The problem is that I studied in France and there, almost nobody has loupes, no student and very few dentists. So I have never worked with and it will be my first loupes and I'm afraid it will be more difficult to adapt with the 3x. But I take note of what you tell me, I imagine that root treatment is easier with a magnification of 5 than 3.5.
The weight can be a problem with Eyezoom actually, it's 30g more, especially on light frames (bad weight distribution), I think it's good with the XV1.
By the way, when I tested the Eyezoom, the optics was on a Legend mount and Endeavor light and it was difficult to manage the wire when I left and put back loupes, any tip to have a good wire management if I do not take the XV1?
 
Q-optic prismatics with lumadent light = the best combo IMO

No dorky shields, lifetime frame warrantee thats made of titanium and is light as hell, and best angle of declination of any TTL loupes I've seen
 
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I wouldn't worry about getting used to them, anyone who uses loupes will have an adjustment period, especially after practicing without them. Yeah, 2.5's will be easier but the learning curve isn't hugely steep to go to 3.5x, just depends what you want to use them for. For general work, 3.5's are awesome. I wouldn't wear them for hygiene. I used 3.5 expanded field prisms in dental school (DFV, buddy holly frames) and liked them - awesome for crown margins/endo. Extra detail definitely made my preps better because I could see any imperfections. I didn't think I needed more magnification. Overall, relatively heavy but I compared the 3 major brands in all the equal magnification side by side and found they were the best in terms of optical clarity/stability for the higher mag and comfort.

For pediatrics, they're way overkill and I have 2.8x examvision and they're wonderful. I wear them everyday. I'd highly recommend them to anyone. Smaller brand which doesn't really visit schools so not too well known. One of my advisors in dental school who had some of the best work wore them which is how I knew about them. Did everything through email/phone and I absolutely love them. The frames are titanium and look very stylish (most comfortable frame I've worn), optical clarity is awesome, and they're built very, very well. Completely blows away the rudy project frames from orascoptic (issues with stability/warping, lenses popping out over time). Sport frames slightly wrap around the eyes so no need for side shields. Only downside is I dont know how warranty is because they're based in Canada (according to them, they cover the costs of repairs) but I've only had them for about 6 months so I haven't had a need to send them in.

Overall recommendation:
Flip ups seem nice in theory but they get smudged, weigh more, over time need adjustments. Just get TTL and get the steepest angle of declination possible.
Examvision is my personal favorite but you can try the major brands (Designs for vision, orascoptic, etc) and most have a 30-45 day trial period.
Plastic frames are okay for 2.5x but get metal frames for higher mags. The telescopes of higher magnifications weight more and will warp the frames over time (you'll have issues in a few years).
3.5>2.5 unless you're doing specialty like ortho or pedo. Once you try 3.5x you'll never want to go lower for actual work. You just see a lot more; your work improves.
I think the eyezoom is a bit of a marketing gimmick just because of the extra weight/size of the scopes. I had a few attendings that used them and they said they use the same magnification 95% of the time. In retrospect, I think they all wish they just had normal loupes. In theory it sounds good, but I really doubt you're going to be switching mag in between each patient from hygiene (2.5x) to OP (3.5x).
 
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lemoncurry said:
I went from 3.0x to 5.5x during dental school and I have never looked back. I have found them to be extremely useful for every procedure, even when I did prophies and perio in school. Sometimes they are even helpful for denture adjustments and such.

Surgitel or orascoptic will give you the most ergonomic loupes, which is some of the best money you can spend.
Click to expand...

Went from 2.5 to 4.5. Been using them for a few months now.

Starting to really consider 5.5x
 
XV1 is amazing, people be jealous!

3.5 HDL prisms very clear.
The light has the most lumens out of all the orascoptic loupes.
WEIGHTLESS, even with eye zoom.
No wires
ERGONOMIC
WEIGHTLESS
Again no wires.

Battery packs in the temples.

Sums up to supreme comfort all day, no need to worry about wires catching, and exceptional light.


I based my purchase of off weight, light, and wire. It’s an awesome system.
 
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WheatLom said:
XV1 is amazing, people be jealous!

3.5 HDL prisms very clear.
The light has the most lumens out of all the orascoptic loupes.
WEIGHTLESS, even with eye zoom.
No wires
ERGONOMIC
WEIGHTLESS
Again no wires.

Battery packs in the temples.

Sums up to supreme comfort all day, no need to worry about wires catching, and exceptional light.


I based my purchase of off weight, light, and wire. It’s an awesome system.
Click to expand...

Think I heard complaints about the light at 4.5/5.5 though :(
 
flip ups are currently the only way to get a truly ergonomic angle of declination. I have never experienced any sort of fatigue due to the weight of the loupes (5.5x surgitel) and the more modular setup allows for easier repairs.
 
Faux said:
Think I heard complaints about the light at 4.5/5.5 though :(
Click to expand...
I haven't had any issues with lighting using my eyezoom XV1's at 4x or 5x. I use 4x for most procedures and 5x is great for endo. I'm very happy with my orascoptic loupes.
 
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spicyfish said:
I haven't had any issues with lighting using my eyezoom XV1's at 4x or 5x. I use 4x for most procedures and 5x is great for endo. I'm very happy with my orascoptic loupes.
Click to expand...

Really bright enough for those magnifications? Maybe I'll give them a second look. Getting a bit fed up with my wire to be honest.
 
Faux said:
Really bright enough for those magnifications? Maybe I'll give them a second look. Getting a bit fed up with my wire to be honest.
Click to expand...
I feel it is, it has a high and low setting. I usually keep it at low for 4x because its more than enough illumination for me.
 
Hello, I come back for a feed-back about my loupes.

Finally I have chosen the XV1 with the Eyezoom Mini but since the first day I had them there is a problem.
According to how the loupes are positioning on my face, sometimes the vision is ok and sometimes I have a double vision. Even if I tighten the cord behind my head it can lead to the problem. For example, I can put them on my face a the beginning of the day and all is fine until I remove them and take them again and so that's awful, double vision. I need spend sometimes several minutes in order to adjust them to achieve a good vision again. It seems like the loupes have no tolerance on the manner I put them on my face, sometimes they fit nice and I see properly, sometime they fit bad and I have double vision. I wonder is the problem is not the nosepad because the loupes are heavy and I think it can bend. Or perhaps the problem have his origin in the initial measurements on my face, when I see double it is like the loupes aren't exactly in front of my eyes... I see properly when the frame is leaning on the left side like if the initial measurements were wrong.

It is annoying, I cannot work nice with them, I spend a lot of time to adjust them. I have called the guy who sold them to me and he has proposed to me to change the frame and "give" me a light with no further expense. But I really like the wireless feature of my XV1, that's why I wonder if the problem is the frames itself (so I will take another one) or perhaps the initial measurements were wrong. I remember that the guy take the measures with an old demonstration XV1 frame, while my XV1 frame is the new one perhaps the 2 frames are different that lead to problem with optical center? He has already taken new measures, but only the interpupillary distance and not the optical center.

I have paid 5000 bucks and I really want just put the frame on my face and do not think about it the rest of the day. What should I do?

I precise that I have tested 2 different demonstration loupes before the purchase and all of them were ok, I never had such a problem but with mines :/

The rest is ok, I love my 2.5-3.5 mag and the 40° declination angle :)
 
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lemoncurry said:
flip ups are currently the only way to get a truly ergonomic angle of declination. I have never experienced any sort of fatigue due to the weight of the loupes (5.5x surgitel) and the more modular setup allows for easier repairs.
Click to expand...
How long have you had surgitels for?

I'm a D1 and i was looking into 3.0x flipups with oakley and their light combo, quoted at 2.2k canadian dollars, which was around 1.7k USD.

I'm wondering how flimsy the flip-ups would get after several years of use.
 
I have been using the 5.5x for about 8 years now. The loupes themselves are still solid. I made the mistake of getting the non-oakley frames and they are not as solid but maybe they have improved since then.
 
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lemoncurry said:
I have been using the 5.5x for about 8 years now. The loupes themselves are still solid. I made the mistake of getting the non-oakley frames and they are not as solid but maybe they have improved since then.
Click to expand...
So no flimsy-ness of the screws, it stays intact??? that's just what i've been hearing etc.

also infection control is what worries me
 
I have had to replace the screws once but it was years after I graduated. I honestly never flip them up anymore; I just tighten the screws to lock it in place.
 
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Endeross said:
Q-optic prismatics with lumadent light = the best combo IMO

No dorky shields, lifetime frame warrantee thats made of titanium and is light as hell, and best angle of declination of any TTL loupes I've seen
Click to expand...

Do you have the warm light or the neutral night?
 
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