loupes and glasses

[dr bojangles]

i have glasses and will be in the market for loupes soon (do you get them as a D1?).
for you glasses wearers, did you get prescription loupes? did you even get loupes at all?
my prescription is probably going to change, i havent been to the opto in like 4 years, and haven't worn my contacts regularly for nearly as long. i also know that many long nights, low light, computer screen, books, etc. may worsen it over the next 4 years of study and operative stuff. any idea on the process and price of changing loupe prescription lenses?
thanks

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[Chrono1984]

If you always wear contacts, then you won't need to bother with any prescription. However, if contacts drive your eyes insane (like me), you can get a prescription built into the frame. I have q-optics 3.0x mag and they built a little insert with my prescription right into the frame. If the prescription changes, they will replace the frame and insert for free with new prescription (the first time). Another option is to get a pair with frames that can actually be coverted into your presciption (these would be more of a bitch to get replaced if the magnifying lense is built into the glass, and not hanging in front like many models).

Your eyesight is likely to get worse during school, but really - if you haven't been to an opto in the last 4 years already..I would wager your eyes aren't in the 'rapidly deteriorating' category and you won't experience dramatic change. Regardless, pretty much every vendor we spoke with had some sort of option for glasses-wearing people.

We bought our loupes 2nd semester D-1 year, so I don't remember the details, but just ask questions when the vendors come by. My pair has worked out just fine. You will need a valid prescription though, so set up an appt. with your opto beforehand.

 

[Pikeyman]

Tried them all: Designs for Vision, Orascoptic, Surgitel

Zeiss has the best optics hands down and get 4.0x and >18 working distance depending on your height. It will force you to sit straight and not hunched over. Don't waste your money on 2.5x.

What you see through 4.0x with your neck and back straight speaks volumes. Your dentistry will never be the same with 4.0. 2.5x doesn't do you any good. 4.0x will cost you about $1700 with taxes and student discount but it's worth it.

I wish my school had someone to tell me this in my 1st year. Buy it in your first year and get used to it when you start operative. Get the Zeiss 4.0x with the headgear. Because you can put the loupes right up against your eyes, your field of view is as large as the thru-the-lens loupes. Also, I see people developing cysts on their noses with all the weights resting on their noses.

Hope this helps.

 

[LazurasDC]

Pikey,

Do you have issues with complying with "eye protection" if you use the loupes with head gear with the optics right in front of your eyes versus built into lenses or flip downs? There doesn't look like there are any side shields that are usually required in clinic.


As for the original post, Heine loupes have prescription lenses you can clip in, so you can always accomodate your changing prescriptions. Designs for Vision loupes sell through the lens loupes and will put your prescription into the lenses but it is much harder to change them out. I believe they give you one free prescription change.

 

[mamelons]

Pikey,

Do you have issues with complying with "eye protection" if you use the loupes with head gear with the optics right in front of your eyes versus built into lenses or flip downs? There doesn't look like there are any side shields that are usually required in clinic.


As for the original post, Heine loupes have prescription lenses you can clip in, so you can always accomodate your changing prescriptions. Designs for Vision loupes sell through the lens loupes and will put your prescription into the lenses but it is much harder to change them out. I believe they give you one free prescription change.

DFV does give you 1 free prescription change.

If you like flip-ups, I would go with Heine if you have glasses. They have the insert that slides into the frames with your prescription and you can take it out as well. So if you want to wear your contacts you can, and if your contact are bugging you one day you can slide the insert in. Also, if you ever have to change your prescription, you just send the insert in to get changed and you can wear contact with your loupes until it comes back. If I had gone with flip-ups I would have bought Heine. But I love my DFV.

And also... to the above poster who said don't waste your money on 2.5x... I disagree. I think it all depends with what you are comfortable with. If you are not a tall person, I think you will find 4.0x to overkill. I have 2.5x, and I think they are fine (at least preclinic). The only thing I can honestly say I wish I had a little bit higher magnification for is for lateral condensation of accessory cones in endo, which you will learn more about later. But other than that... they are fine for operative, fine for fixed, and I think my posture is fine. I don't think you would want to go up to 4.0x to start with... no one naturally sits completely straight up anyways... loupes just improve your posture... you don't want to get something that forces to sit up so straight you are uncomfortable... you don't need to develop lordosis of the spine while wearing your loupes.

 

[monreal]

And also... to the above poster who said don't waste your money on 2.5x... I disagree. I think it all depends with what you are comfortable with. If you are not a tall person, I think you will find 4.0x to overkill. I have 2.5x, and I think they are fine (at least preclinic). The only thing I can honestly say I wish I had a little bit higher magnification for is for lateral condensation of accessory cones in endo, which you will learn more about later. But other than that... they are fine for operative, fine for fixed, and I think my posture is fine. I don't think you would want to go up to 4.0x to start with... no one naturally sits completely straight up anyways... loupes just improve your posture... you don't want to get something that forces to sit up so straight you are uncomfortable... you don't need to develop lordosis of the spine while wearing your loupes.

You are kind of confused here. Sitting straight and being not a tall person have nothing to do with magnification (4.0x or 2.5x). Just get the working distance that fits your posture and height. Magnification is a different story.

 

[Pikeyman]

Pikey,

Do you have issues with complying with "eye protection" if you use the loupes with head gear with the optics right in front of your eyes versus built into lenses or flip downs? There doesn't look like there are any side shields that are usually required in clinic.

You have to have a separate eye protection gear.

 

[T DAT]

I have surgitel and love them. I got the 3.5x's through the lens. They are on Oakley frames and are light. i have a small nose and pointy ears, which can be a problem for eyeglass wearer's.

 

[kevin512]

DONT do Orascopic

Pi$$ poor customer service OR should I say, as Clark Howard does, great customer no-service.

 

[HupHolland]

DONT do Orascopic

Pi$$ poor customer service OR should I say, as Clark Howard does, great customer no-service.

Do you care to elaborate before smearing the company? I have Orascopics and have nothing but great things to say about them.

Hup

 

[kevin512]

Do you care to elaborate before smearing the company? I have Orascopics and have nothing but great things to say about them.

Hup

sure. the glasses themselves are not the problem. they are actually nice, functional and I really like them.

The problems:
1- I had to contact them 5 times to get my receipt. When I got the receipt, none of the numbers were correct (I needed this information for my reimbursement-Navy). They put some random tax rate on the receipt and shipped it off to me. I had to call back and tell them that the math did not match-up.
2-Sent the Rx for my the insert 2 months ago. Called back yesterday and they said they never received it which is total bs (I have a reply from the sales rep saying she'll pass it on). She must have passed it on to the trash can.

I like the loupes, but dont like the customer service and will not use their products unless I have to in the future.

 

[btizzels]

Tried them all: Designs for Vision, Orascoptic, Surgitel

Zeiss has the best optics hands down and get 4.0x and >18 working distance depending on your height. It will force you to sit straight and not hunched over. Don't waste your money on 2.5x.

What you see through 4.0x with your neck and back straight speaks volumes. Your dentistry will never be the same with 4.0. 2.5x doesn't do you any good. 4.0x will cost you about $1700 with taxes and student discount but it's worth it.

I wish my school had someone to tell me this in my 1st year. Buy it in your first year and get used to it when you start operative. Get the Zeiss 4.0x with the headgear. Because you can put the loupes right up against your eyes, your field of view is as large as the thru-the-lens loupes. Also, I see people developing cysts on their noses with all the weights resting on their noses.

Hope this helps.

OMG seriously 4 x.... that will make you feel like you are in a valley with the cusp as the mountains surrounding you. Generally 2.5 is more then enough, but then again most of the time you can try them out and see what you think

 

[tooth hurty]

Any ideas for what someone should do if they want to switch between contacts and glasses? I mostly wear contacts but sometimes they irritate me - on the other hand I look like a huge geek with glasses - so I would like the flexibility to choose, day-by-day, if possible... thanks!

 

[moxn]

Tried them all: Designs for Vision, Orascoptic, Surgitel

Zeiss has the best optics hands down and get 4.0x and >18 working distance depending on your height. It will force you to sit straight and not hunched over. Don't waste your money on 2.5x.

i have 2.5X through-the-lens loupes, and they're great, but i want something better. i am deciding between zeiss eymag pro or the heine hrp loupes. i want to go with 4-4.5X.

my only misgiving is that neither company offers a through-the-lens solution. how much field of view am i losing by going with flip ups?
does anyone have any experience with such a transition?