Which company would you buy your loupes from?

I voted for SurgiTel because that's what I have (duh), but I have the loupes mounted the Oakley M-frames, which is something that I believe only SurgiTel does.

I love the M-frame loupes, they're so much lighter than anything else out there...

I have orascoptic, but wish I had gotten Designs for Vision. I think they are lighter for a given magnification. The design makes more sense to me. I like the way they look better too.

I voted Surgitel. Everyone seems to like DFV so far, but I ordered theirs at the same time as my Surgitels to see which I liked better, and the DFV's were pretty disappointing.

They conducted a survey at school last year and everyone liked Zeiss the best. But for some reason, the school still made everyone in my class get DFV.

Designs for Vision is what most of the profs at my school use...plus, who else offers the "Buddy Holly" frame?

Sandy Grendel is the loupe of choice here at NYU!

I'm telling you guys, having your loupes mounted on Oakley frames is sweet.

ItsGavinC said:

I'm telling you guys, having your loupes mounted on Oakley frames is sweet.

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Oakley framed loupes? Are you really gonna want those things in 10 years? I bet you are the type of guy that wears muscle shirts and peels out of parking lots... no??

ItsGavinC said:

I'm telling you guys, having your loupes mounted on Oakley frames is sweet.

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don't those fall off your head gavin?

Also on the brouchure for vision was a Dental Town.com "townie" award winner.

ItsGavinC said:

I'm telling you guys, having your loupes mounted on Oakley frames is sweet.

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Gavin, when the SurgiTel rep came to promote their loupes he said most students decided to go with either Oakley or titanium frames. Why did you decided to go with Oakley over titanium?

edkNARF said:

Why did you decided to go with Oakley over titanium?

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I thought the Oakley were far more comfortable than the titanium, and I also thought they looked better. Personal reasons, of course.

msf41 said:

don't those fall off your head gavin?

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Nope, they stay on better than the previous frames I had. And, they also have a lanyard so you can wear them around your neck or cinch it up and tighten them to your head. I don't tighten them because they are tight already.

unlvdmd said:

Oakley framed loupes? Are you really gonna want those things in 10 years? I bet you are the type of guy that wears muscle shirts and peels out of parking lots... no??

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Yeah, I think they're great. They're the most *comfortable* frames I tried, and for me that's extremely important. They're uber-lightweight. I don't see an explicit reason why I wouldn't want them in 10 years.

I'll post a picture if you guys are interested.

ItsGavinC said:

I'll post a picture if you guys are interested.

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Please do! I am curious as to what they look like..
Gavin in his Oakleys---->

FWIW...

The #1 REALITY's choice for 2005 is SurgiTel.

The DentalTown Townie Choice award went to Designs for Vision.


Here at Michigan, we have SurgiTel right here in Ann Arbor, so I am going with SurgiTel as it will be nice to have them in town if I ever have any breakage or problems.

jk5177 said:

How legitimate is the Townie award. I know Orascopic got the number 1 Townie either this year or last year, it seems that they are neck to neck with SurgiTel.

I also heard SurgiTel is number one in the medical field.

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I would be skeptical as well of the Townie award. The voting is done voluntarily by members who visit the website. Who knows how much DFV is paying them for advertisting to in DT magazine too...

ItsGavinC said:

Yeah, I think they're great. They're the most *comfortable* frames I tried, and for me that's extremely important. They're uber-lightweight. I don't see an explicit reason why I wouldn't want them in 10 years.

I'll post a picture if you guys are interested.

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The Oakley loupes are sweet. If I wasn't getting Rx lenses, I would DEFINETELY get the Oakleys. Nice choice Gavin

ktcook83 said:

The Oakley loupes are sweet. If I wasn't getting Rx lenses, I would DEFINETELY get the Oakleys. Nice choice Gavin

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I like the Oakley loupes, my only problem with them is that I have not had good luck with Oakleys. I have gone through 3 pairs in two years (each of them has had a break in the arm), and I take pretty good care of my glasses.

Gavin, have you (or your classmates) had any problems with these loupes? I would hate to have an arm break the night before an exam.

DFV are kick ass! I paid $800 with shipping (student discount) and they are so light and clear. My buddy has some swedish brand, they are ok but kinda bulky and they don't have any local reps. They look like oakleys but aren't.

Jaws said:

Gavin, have you (or your classmates) had any problems with these loupes? I would hate to have an arm break the night before an exam.

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Not one single problem in the entire class (about 30 of us have them), however we've only had them for a year or less. I've only had mine since Aprilish.

Some pictures of the SurgiTel Oakley loupes. Sorry for the poor pics. Click on them for a larger (yet still blurry) version:

I use the Oakley loupes as well and the only problem I've had is that the rubber nose piece fell out of them. I superglued it back in and have had no more problems. They work great. The Oakley frames were around 180 I believe with shipping and the original loupes loupes that I switched out were about 660 (student discount, 2.5x).

crazy_sherm said:

They conducted a survey at school last year and everyone liked Zeiss the best. But for some reason, the school still made everyone in my class get DFV.

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I agree that Carl Zeiss makes one of the best loupes. A lot of high end camera manufactures also use zeiss lens.

ItsGavinC said:

I thought the Oakley were far more comfortable than the titanium, and I also thought they looked better. Personal reasons, of course.

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I just ordered the same pair along with many of my classmates. I was a little put off at first--Oakley frames? Sounds super trendy or something...but they are so much more comfortable than any others I tried on! Plus, they are set at 45 degrees instead of 25 or 35 so that means less neck bending and strain.

reLAXgirl said:

I just ordered the same pair along with many of my classmates. I was a little put off at first--Oakley frames? Sounds super trendy or something...but they are so much more comfortable than any others I tried on! Plus, they are set at 45 degrees instead of 25 or 35 so that means less neck bending and strain.

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but they only have a one year warranty!!! oakleys have a tendency to break and with little warranty you are out...

ItsGavinC said:

Some pictures of the SurgiTel Oakley loupes. Sorry for the poor pics. Click on them for a larger (yet still blurry) version:

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That looks sweet. Can they mount the lenses on any pair of sunglasses you give them?

mg777 said:

That looks sweet. Can they mount the lenses on any pair of sunglasses you give them?

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No, they only do the Oakley ones, which you purchase directly from them.

However, loupes can easily be mounted on any sunglasses. A buddy and I took some shades, and used a 330 bur on a highspeed to create holes for the SurgiTel mounting bracket. Worked like a charm.

reLAXgirl said:

but they are so much more comfortable than any others I tried on! Plus, they are set at 45 degrees instead of 25 or 35 so that means less neck bending and strain.

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Agreed. When I realized how often I'd be wearing them, comfort was my #1 factor.

I think that the brand from Europe you are talking about is called "Sandy Grendel" correct? http://www.sandygrendel.com/

How does your friend like the loupes...any pros/cons? Thanks.

Dental08?09 said:

DFV are kick ass! I paid $800 with shipping (student discount) and they are so light and clear. My buddy has some swedish brand, they are ok but kinda bulky and they don't have any local reps. They look like oakleys but aren't.

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ItsGavinC said:

I voted for SurgiTel because that's what I have (duh), but I have the loupes mounted the Oakley M-frames, which is something that I believe only SurgiTel does.

I love the M-frame loupes, they're so much lighter than anything else out there...

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I have those too. I like 'em. The frames are much more comfortable.

I have the Oakleys too and have to say they are the best I've seen.

I and five of my friends all have the Grendels. I also own a pair of DFV- nice but nearly as light as Grendel. The Grendels are wonderful loupes:

-as light or lighter than anything on the market
-lens made my Zeiss
-the best peripheral vision around the lens-so no taking the glasses on/off during any procedure
-cool style

The Grendels are a small family business. They visit NYC during the summers and also the fall at the Greater New York Dental show so students here can buy them at both times. The system is semi adjustable and the frames are made of titanium, they are rugged and Ive never heard of anyone needing service.

cons> The aluminum case requires you to unsnap the shield from the frames to store them >> its a pain if you are in a rush >>> but I heard they now also have a soft case which eliminates this!

ItsGavinC said:

Some pictures of the SurgiTel Oakley loupes. Sorry for the poor pics. Click on them for a larger (yet still blurry) version:

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How much are we looking at spending for the exact glasses and loupes.

I have to get these, they are very sweet !!!

I would go with SurgiTel -- get the Oakley loupes.

heemDMD09 said:

I would go with SurgiTel -- get the Oakley loupes.

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No offense, but I cant stand surgitel. The optics are horrible and the frames kill my nose all day long. I can understand for a first year not using the loupes all that much, but when you're in preclin all day the crushing weight gets to you. I'm sure thats even worse in clinic with patients all day. I ordered orascoptic and they felt pretty good at the dental convention last month....the optics are built into the lenses and the whole set is pretty light too.

__________________
Tufts 08

joyride said:

No offense, but I cant stand surgitel. The optics are horrible and the frames kill my nose all day long. I can understand for a first year not using the loupes all that much, but when you're in preclin all day the crushing weight gets to you. I'm sure thats even worse in clinic with patients all day. I ordered orascoptic and they felt pretty good at the dental convention last month....the optics are built into the lenses and the whole set is pretty light too.

__________________
Tufts 08

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agreed

Why do you have DFV when you also have the Gendels? My buddy just got a pair and they are nice (Grendels).....

As for repairs and such how does the process work? do you get any cleanings? maintanance? or does it cost a fortune?

Also I heard from my buddy that the Grendel's angle of view is less than Ora/DFV...any opinions on that? I was wondering if you could try both specs and let me know.

the plastic clear mask seems a little flimsy...does it come off, or can it withstand an impact (basically will it protect my eyes)?

lastly, the clip that you attach the titanium frame to, does that seem to wear off or unclip at all? i am afraid that thing will dissemble in the middle of a procedure.

thanks

esspressive said:

I and five of my friends all have the Grendels. I also own a pair of DFV- nice but nearly as light as Grendel. The Grendels are wonderful loupes:

-as light or lighter than anything on the market
-lens made my Zeiss
-the best peripheral vision around the lens-so no taking the glasses on/off during any procedure
-cool style

The Grendels are a small family business. They visit NYC during the summers and also the fall at the Greater New York Dental show so students here can buy them at both times. The system is semi adjustable and the frames are made of titanium, they are rugged and Ive never heard of anyone needing service.

cons> The aluminum case requires you to unsnap the shield from the frames to store them >> its a pain if you are in a rush >>> but I heard they now also have a soft case which eliminates this!

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I have Surgitel which I think are OK. The frame is not very comfortable. A friend of mine has Surgitel on Oakley. The look is really cool, but I don't like to have to flip up and down. Also, an addition of $150 is a bit pricey. Another friend of mine has Orascopic. I tried them and they are really comfortable. If I were to buy another one, I would buy Orascopic. Plus, they give you a very nice box with your name, DDS. : ) I also heard good things about Design for Vision. The bottom line is that I will not buy Surgitel again!

jonnytight said:

I think that the brand from Europe you are talking about is called "Sandy Grendel" correct? http://www.sandygrendel.com/

How does your friend like the loupes...any pros/cons? Thanks.

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These Grendel's look cool. Myself along with 5 guys in my class bought another loup called Merident from Europe. Hand made, lightest loop on the market (less than the weight of two nickles). They give you brackets that you can put on multiple glasses. The loops remove and you can put them on any glasses as long as you have put on the mounting system. They are flip downs and so you don't get the field of vision you do with a loup in the lens. But for someone like me that can hardly wear a pair of sunglasses because they bug me it was the only option I had. They were expensive $800 +. The other positive thing is that my glasses came flying off one time and the lens of my loup fractured. I emailed merident and they had a new lens for FREE to me in less than 4 days from SWEDEN! I took it to an optical shop that does lens work for the optomatrists in town and they re-epoxied it for $5! He said that it was simple, repair friendly and the coolest optic system he had ever seen... Now the negative, it is hard to wear a headlight in the OR with them. For this reason, if you are going to be in the OR doing work and needing to wear a headlight, I would go with an in the lens loup. DFV are what most surgeons have for that reason. If I get another set, I am going to get an in the lens, lighter than light, good optics loup that I can wear a full blown fiberoptic light with and not have the light's position interfere with the loup and vise versa...

I personally went with orascoptics not only b/c the setup is comfortable and lightweight, which i felt like the DFV were also, but the main reason is that the orascoptics are completely submersible. The DFV the rep said that you could only wipe with a "damp clothe". This was the biggest selling point for me. Also, a side note about Surgitel, there is a student that purchased loupes from them, and less than 6 months after getting them the earpiece broke off (not from abuse) and they said that wasn't covered under the warranty and it ended up costing him a pretty penny. Just a note, check the warranty and what it covers.

ItsGavinC said:

Some pictures of the SurgiTel Oakley loupes. Sorry for the poor pics. Click on them for a larger (yet still blurry) version:

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I got the Hogies Mediview frame with Keeler optics.. I purchased them from DFV. I've really enjoyed them.. and they seem to be somewhat similar in style to the Oakley ones.

http://www.hogies.com/store/page.pl?id=506

how about some prices?

Now for a "price check" for everyone with some non student perspective pricing.

About 6 weeks ago at The Yankee Dental Meeting in Boston, I bought my 2nd pair of Loupes (Orascoptic 4.5x through the lense) that I basically use as my endo loupes(my "regular" everyday Loupes are 2.5x TTL's). I also got their belt clip battery pack LED light that clips to the bridge of my frames. Everything else in my order was standard (i.e. no Rx lenses etc).

My "convention special price" was $1295 for the Loupes (Reg $1495), and another $700 for the LED light, 2 battery packs and a charger, grand total INCLUDING the shipping cost was $2020

Flip side though is 1 molar endo (The MB2 canal looks HUGE at 4.5x ), build up and the crown afterwards, and I've already grossed more that orascoptic charged me.

To put it in perspective about the difference in field of view in 2.5x vs. 4.5x is, my 2.5x Loupes have a field of view about as wide as a carpule of anesthetic, my 4.5x's have a field of view of the letters "XYLOCA" on the carpule of Xylocaine. Definately takes some getting used too, and I couldn't even fathom trying to do something like a bridge prep and get paralellism between abutments when I basically can't see more than 1 tooth.

esspressive said:

I and five of my friends all have the Grendels. I also own a pair of DFV- nice but nearly as light as Grendel. The Grendels are wonderful loupes:

-as light or lighter than anything on the market
-lens made my Zeiss
-the best peripheral vision around the lens-so no taking the glasses on/off during any procedure
-cool style

The Grendels are a small family business. They visit NYC during the summers and also the fall at the Greater New York Dental show so students here can buy them at both times. The system is semi adjustable and the frames are made of titanium, they are rugged and Ive never heard of anyone needing service.

cons> The aluminum case requires you to unsnap the shield from the frames to store them >> its a pain if you are in a rush >>> but I heard they now also have a soft case which eliminates this!

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Until I read this thread I had never heard of Grendels. A couple of us at UNLV are interested in this companies products. If there are more people out there that have or now about these loupes please respond, it would be very helpful. In the little videos on the website they seem to be far superior to any other company, super light, etc. Do they visit any other part of the country besides NYC? I would like to try these on.