Incoming dental student first loupe fittings

[futureOrtho2027]

Starting dental school this August with our loupe fittings scheduled for May. There will be three companies there - Orascoptic, Surgitel, and Designs for Vision.

Just looking for current dental students or graduates to give their opinions on which company offers the best all-around loupes (most important for me being comfort and clarity).

My school recommends purchasing 2.5x mag loupes, which I've heard are practically worthless since it's not much mag, what would you recommend for my first pair? Also are prismatic or galilean loupes better (if one's not better or worse, what's the difference between them)?

I've also heard that the best lights come from Lumadent, would it be worth it for me to get a light from one of the representatives at the school or order my own from Lumadent?

Thanks for your insight!!

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[PerioDont]

I think a 3.5 is fine to start with.

you might get a discount if you do a group order with lumadent so I'd wait

personally I have a Design for vision.

honestly if I had to buy it again I'd get a lumadent ergoprism but it's very expensive. I think its the best loupe now since it forces you to posture well

 

[pickaychu]

I think a 3.5 is fine to start with.

you might get a discount if you do a group order with lumadent so I'd wait

personally I have a Design for vision.

honestly if I had to buy it again I'd get a lumadent ergoprism but it's very expensive. I think its the best loupe now since it forces you to posture well

i agree with the suggestion of ergonomic loupes. OP, just remember that a 3.0 ergo is not the same as a 3.0 traditional and you will need to go closer to 5-6x in ergo to get that same 3.5x mag. i went with andau/admetec and love their loupes.

 

[D1Bound]

deflection (ergo) loupes. Don’t look back

 

[Ryxndek]

I'm curious, everyone says get ergo loupes, but I've also heard that they are different than traditional ones and I've read that D1s should get traditional loupes to get introduced to how to use them before switching to the ergo loupes. We have our loupe fair in November, I've always been curious about ergo loupes but will there be a learning curve for someone like me who has never used loupes before?

And I've seen that Orascoptic has their new line, do we think these will be better than Lumadent or is that the only go to for Ergo loupes?

 

[D1Bound]

I'm curious, everyone says get ergo loupes, but I've also heard that they are different than traditional ones and I've read that D1s should get traditional loupes to get introduced to how to use them before switching to the ergo loupes. We have our loupe fair in November, I've always been curious about ergo loupes but will there be a learning curve for someone like me who has never used loupes before?

And I've seen that Orascoptic has their new line, do we think these will be better than Lumadent or is that the only go to for Ergo loupes?

Idk where everyone gets on about “learning curve.” The whole art of dentistry is a learning curve. I wouldn’t waste my money on 2 sets of loupes. I would get ergos, figure out where the best seating positions are, and practice. It was very natural feeling to me. I have neck pain so regardless I was going to learn to use them no matter what

 

[Ryxndek]

Idk where everyone gets on about “learning curve.” The whole art of dentistry is a learning curve. I wouldn’t waist my money on 2 sets of loupes. I would get ergos, figure out where the best seating positions are, and practice. It was very natural feeling to me. I have neck pain so regardless I was going to learn to use them no matter what

Good to know, thank you @D1Bound. I'll look into the loupes. I also have occasional neck pain so if I can alleviate it with better posture loupes it's definitely got my attention.

 

[AONLINE]

I like my Lumadent 5x ergo loupes. Very heavy on my face but I see well.

 

[Undecided__]

I'm a D1 who go 3.0 People told me to get 2.5 or 3.0 until I learned. I wish I got a higher magnification to begin with. Now, I have to spend 2-3k for another pair.

At this moment, that's my biggest regret about dental school thus far

 

[Teeth and Titanite]

And I've seen that Orascoptic has their new line, do we think these will be better than Lumadent or is that the only go to for Ergo loupes?

Orascoptic is a good company, and I went with them for my TTL loupes. I was initially excited that they made deflection loupes, but they only offer 3.5x for that loupe style. As mentioned earlier in the thread, 3.5x for ergo loupes is less powerful than a standard 3.5x loupe. For deflection/ergo loupes, you'll want a brand that offers 5x at least. Lumadent also has good value for money with their loupe lights.

 

[Ryxndek]

Orascoptic is a good company, and I went with them for my TTL loupes. I was initially excited that they made deflection loupes, but they only offer 3.5x for that loupe style. As mentioned earlier in the thread, 3.5x for ergo loupes is less powerful than a standard 3.5x loupe. For deflection/ergo loupes, you'll want a brand that offers 5x at least. Lumadent also has good value for money with their loupe lights.

That's good to know! Thank you for the advice, I'll be on the lookout for loupes, I still have some time before they have our loupe fair!

 

[Ryxndek]

Orascoptic is a good company, and I went with them for my TTL loupes. I was initially excited that they made deflection loupes, but they only offer 3.5x for that loupe style. As mentioned earlier in the thread, 3.5x for ergo loupes is less powerful than a standard 3.5x loupe. For deflection/ergo loupes, you'll want a brand that offers 5x at least. Lumadent also has good value for money with their loupe lights.

Do you know how good lumadent's warranty is? I've heard orascoptic has one of the best warranties for their loupes. I tried looking at Lumadent's but theirs just says Limited Lifetime warranty and without reading pages of their warranty, I just want to know if it covers the loupes like orascoptic does

 

[Teeth and Titanite]

Do you know how good lumadent's warranty is? I've heard orascoptic has one of the best warranties for their loupes. I tried looking at Lumadent's but theirs just says Limited Lifetime warranty and without reading pages of their warranty, I just want to know if it covers the loupes like orascoptic does

Great question, I only bought their light so I can't quite comment on their loupe warranty. All I really remember is that they cover everything while you are a student though. Definitely get more clarification from their sales rep at your loupe fair.

 

[Ryxndek]

Great question, I only bought their light so I can't quite comment on their loupe warranty. All I really remember is that they cover everything while you are a student though. Definitely get more clarification from their sales rep at your loupe fair.

Okay yeah, good point! I'll have to ask. I'm hoping they have student discounts like orascoptic does. I'd much rather get a pair of ergo loupes and get used to using indirect vision than have my neck and back suffer. Thanks, @Teeth and Titanite I appreciate the advice!

 

[D1Bound]

Do you know how good lumadent's warranty is? I've heard orascoptic has one of the best warranties for their loupes. I tried looking at Lumadent's but theirs just says Limited Lifetime warranty and without reading pages of their warranty, I just want to know if it covers the loupes like orascoptic does

In my experience dealing with lumadent customer service was a nightmare. The quality also wasn’t good. Maybe they’ve changed since

 

[stealyoface]

The best loupe company if you can handle the weight is without question Carl Zeiss. Zeiss is a high end optics company who makes their own lenses at a very high level. The only draw back is they are a little heavy (I got used to mine very fast). I’ve owned Orascoptic, Heine, and Carl Zeiss. The Zeiss easily has the best optics of those 3. The view you get in the mouth looks like a DSLR camera photo. It’s beautiful. They don’t send reps to schools though so you would have to ask them who your local rep is to try to see them or buy them. You should go 3.5x mag at a minimum. I went 4x. You’ll be much happier in the long run. They are also built like tanks. One of my classmates in dental school had hand me downs from his dad that said “Made in West Germany” on them if that speaks to their longevity. Give them a consideration and you will not be disappointed. Carl Zeiss Eye Mag Pro’s are the Porsche 911 Turbo of loupes

Edit:
I went lumadent for my light and it’s a good light. No complaints. Does what it needs to