Dental loupes

[Supernumerary]

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I just found out that my school requires us to buy loupes by midterm of the first semester. Any advice on good models or features? Anybody ever bought used loupes?

I'm looking for a happy medium between quality and price - though favoring the price factor a little more heavily in my decision(so far, I've seen they're about $800. 😱 )

😀

 

[cusp of carabelli]

i LOVE my orascoptic ttl 3.0x loops....i can't imagine doing amalgam preps w/o them now...🙂

 

[Yah-E]

Let me break it down:

There are three big manufacturers/companies:

Orascoptics - best customer service
Design By Vision - most stylish
Surgitel - stylish frames

There are two main types:

Through the lens (TTL) - fixed and tailored to you only
Flip-ups - heavier

They all come in different magnifications:

2.5X - standard (everyone gets these)
3X - heavier and more expensive

They all will cost around $650 - $750/pair (student price) for a 2.5X.

These are basic info, for further detailed info, visit the manufacturers' web sites!

I still don't understand why dental schools don't budget loupes into our financial aid? I want to say 90/99 classmates of mine has one. This cost was a huge hit out of my own pocket!

 

[Richard R Scherf]

I have two Designs for Vision 2.5x loupes with the lower part of the lenses dipped in orange UV filter color (extremely convenient). I'll bet you'll find these the most stable and the best customized to your natural working distance from the patient.

Once you begin to use them, be patient and you will see _so much_ more detail.

RRS

 

[Supernumerary]

Thanks for the advice guys. Better start saving up now, though.

 

[quantumhead]

I have Surgitel flip up's, 2.5 they are one of the most popular and I have loved them. Next I will buy a pair of higher magnification through the lens so they will me lighter and give me more magnification. (Duhh). Try them all out and get what you want, most reps come to the schools over and over. ALSO!!

KEEP THE RECIEPT!!

This can be part of your capital investement for your future business!! Anything but tuition and required textbooks!!

Enjoy

 

[Kung Foo]

As a school expense, it can go into your school loans if you want it to - just like a computer can (particularly if your school requires them). Talk to your financial aid person ahead of time, and he/she should be able to put it into your "package."

I have surgitel 2.5x through the lens ($640, student price)... and am pretty sure i would have failed every single cavity prep thus far without them. As a side note, my clinic partner used his while taking my alginate impressions this fall, and i wanted to crack up laughing SO BADLY... but had a mouthfull of goo

***there's another thread on this from earlier this year - you might want to look that up too***

 

[StarGirl]

do they really help? i've been debating about getting them all year... but i have no idea what i want to do after i graduate... (be a bum, work as a dentist, work for an insurance company, work for some dental related place behind a desk...etc etc)...
i've manage ok so far w/o them...
is it worth the 600-1K?

 

[Frank Cavitation]

stargirl,

Plenty of dentists go around without loupes, so it's unlikely that they are a life necessity. However the instructors at my school use them to evaluate our preps so it makes sense here to have the same visual clarity as them. Since you are passing all your preps right now, loupes will not "make or break" you.

I love my loupes, and if I had money I'd buy an even stronger one for endo to see all the canal openings. I am using Orascoptic cloth band loupes, because flipups are heavy and I didn't want to deal with getting prescription on TTL.