Fogging/Sweating of Glasses/Loupes

[Beatles0467]

So as the title implies, I'm wondering how to deal with this. I think all of us in our class kind of get away with this sort of thing in pre-clinic by just pulling down the mask a little but now that we are getting into clinic more, that is not something we can do anymore. When I have my face mask on, my loupes always get fogged up, and worse, at the top I tend to accumulate sweat which is annoying for vision, and probably looks ridiculous to the patient (and probably doesn't make them feel any better seeing their dental student literally sweating over them!) Anyone have any good ideas for how to prevent this or take care of it? Any advice would be welcome. Thanks!

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[bigstix808]

So as the title implies, I'm wondering how to deal with this. I think all of us in our class kind of get away with this sort of thing in pre-clinic by just pulling down the mask a little but now that we are getting into clinic more, that is not something we can do anymore. When I have my face mask on, my loupes always get fogged up, and worse, at the top I tend to accumulate sweat which is annoying for vision, and probably looks ridiculous to the patient (and probably doesn't make them feel any better seeing their dental student literally sweating over them!) Anyone have any good ideas for how to prevent this or take care of it? Any advice would be welcome. Thanks!

i'm only in simlab right now...but i actually lift my mask up a little higher and make sure the nose piece is pretty well formed. then i roll the bottom of the mask under and that seems to work ok. i'm also looking at getting some glasses that sit a little bit further off my face than the ones i have now. my loupes come in friday so we'll see they work with this technique

 

[jjohnny1185]

I know it looks stupid, but some of the people in my class tape the mask over their nose with masking tape. It keeps them from fogging up.

 

[Flipper405]

Yeah, I think the key is getting a good fit with the nose piece. I'm also only in dent sim... but the one time I had this problem, I just pushed hard on the nose piece to seal it better.

 

[armorshell]

If you cross the earbands over before you put them on your ears (so that they form an "x"), the mask will pucker up slightly in the corners which keeps your loupes/glasses from fogging up.

 

[Lurchdubious]

If you cross the earbands over before you put them on your ears (so that they form an "x"), the mask will pucker up slightly in the corners which keeps your loupes/glasses from fogging up.

I was going to mention this as well. It works for some, but not for me 🙁.

 

[Beatles0467]

If you cross the earbands over before you put them on your ears (so that they form an "x"), the mask will pucker up slightly in the corners which keeps your loupes/glasses from fogging up.

Thank you, I tried that today and although it didn't completely alleviate things, it definitely did seem to help (though I might have just wanted to think it was working too). I think the idea of needing my loupes further from my face might need to be considered too, though I really don't like the idea of getting new loupes....

 

[reapply2007]

be careful when crossing over the bands as you may end up inhaling debris in aerosol form due to creating a leak in the lateral edges of the mask. sounds obvious, but i've had a pretty serious uri from this.

 

[HupHolland]

-adapt the mask to the bridge of your nose really well
-move your loupes/safety glasses away from your eyes (i.e. down the bridge of your nose) slightly
-breath through your nose more than your mouth

also, when you first get into clinic you're nervous, and thus breath heavier and more frequently. as you become more comfortable treating patients you will calm down and your breathing will as well.

Hup

 

[jmick101]

If your loupes fog up on you, then use the "operatory AC" (the air/water thingy) to clear it up. Works great for the sweaty temples as well.

 

[OG1]

There's nothing quite like foggy glasses and dripping beads of sweat on your patient as you wonder if you just accidentally exposed the pulp, is there? Man, I miss dental school.

 

[Boat on the Chesapeake]

One of my professors mentioned wiping the glasses off with soap and water beforehand. The thin layer of soap supposedly works as a surfactant but I haven't tried it yet. Spraying on some defogger would probably work too.

 

[Chesnok]

and make sure that defogger doesn't hurt your eyes...safety and health first.

 

[DrJeff]

It gets better with time (really). As your comfort level with the handpiece improves (both in the pre-clin labs and on live patients), you'll find that the bit of anxiety that EVERYONE gets when 1st working on teeth, settles down, as does the sympathetic response most of us got at one time or another and then your pulse rate stays lower, your respiration rate stays lower and the things that can lead to an increase in fogging potential decrease 👍

Also, if you have the opportunity to do so, try a different style of mask.

 

[Truedat]

If you cross the earbands over before you put them on your ears (so that they form an "x"), the mask will pucker up slightly in the corners which keeps your loupes/glasses from fogging up.

I did this the other day. Problem solved.

 

[UKdent]

rain-x wipes

 

[Drill Doc]

I did this the other day. Problem solved.

I agree. Worked for me also....BUT the sides of the mask are obviously open and I don't like that idea. Why even wear one if all the aerosols and junk are just coming around and in through the side?

 

[neezy]

You can buy some anti-fog stuff from a Dive shop. Same concept as the soap but less of a film. Just put a few drops on the lens and rub it in. I did it initially when I was nervi in clinic but the fog has decreased the more i've worked on patients. Get an oscillating fan to carry with you into operatories. That helps as well

 

[GonnaDoIt]

Hocking a loogey on dive masks works well to de-fog those. Just saying...

 

[cezzz]

Why don't you try to find a comfortable mask? Many dentist have been experiencing that problem but I haven't heard about any tips to avoid it.

 

[narutoguy15]

just get some fogstops from amazon.. works pretty good

 

[proteeth]

They sell masks that are specifically for pple who wear glasses