Loupes for 1st year students

[adamlc18]

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I know there have been other threads about this but I wanted to know what current SDN readers thought. We had our first rep at school today selling loupes from Designs for Vision. I am sure more will come. My question is do I get loupes at all, if so, do I get these or wait for other companies to come by? I am hoping for something somewhat cost-effective since I am married and living only on loans. Thanks

 

[ItsGavinC]

Well, choose the loupes that fit you best and that you like the best.

In regards to whether or not you get them, that depends on whether or not you need them now.

If you aren't going to be doing a lot of preps this first year then you can put them off until next year.

 

[toofache32]

That was the biggest waste of $600 I ever spent. I used those damn things for about a month then never again. Everyone else kept using them and their preps still looked just as crappy as mine. The salesman was a slick-looking greasy-haired fellow from Designs for Vision who somehow convinced our administrators to include this $600 in our loan amount.

Save your money. $600 is a lot of beer.

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

It's nice to be able to see more of what you're working on, but most importantly magnification will save your back and eyes; they are worth every penny. If you start good habits now, you will carry them with you your whole career. It is much harder to develop good ergonomics after getting used to hunching over your patients for a few years. It's a lot of money, but they are giving you as students a HUGE break. They sell these to dentists for around $900-1300!

There are a couple faculty at my school that use jeweler's loupes for magnification. These are ~$15 and would be fine for waxing, but as soon as you start doing work on the mannequins you need to get loupes so you get in the habit of good posture and position. Just my opinion.

 

[koobpheej]

I woudl agree with the last post. The most important thing with loupes is being able to see well without bending over your patient. In my experience, I couldn't see well at all before I had my loupes, now I can see much better, and my back and neck don't get sore after spending all day in the simulation lab. If you are not sure what you need/want, start with what is most comfortable, and get the cheapest ones you can. At our school, we can trade up later if we want, and they will give us the full price of our loupes toward a more expensive model if we so desire. It is a requirement for us to purchase the loupes. I got Carl Zeiss, 2.5X if anybody cares, to me they were the most comfortable, and I can trade up to a higher magnification if I want.

 

[dentalman]

I agree with GavinC: You won't need them for waxing, but could use them for prepping. Most companies give a thirty day trial period. Once you get used to them, they really do save your back. How much does your back cost? We have about 90% of our class use them, but they are not needed to make might fine looking preps.

My advice: try them out. If you love them like I do, they are worth every penny.

 

[toothcaries]

i bought a pair of loupes during the d1 year..
...helpful for me in pre-clinical.
use them early..and u wont develop bad sitting habits..

i have not really used them at all with patients to be honest...
i have a surgitel model....and they are heavy on my face....i didnt like being in the habit of bringing my hands to my face (to adjust the loupes) while in a mouth....and i just dont really need the extra magnification.


that said,
i plan to buy a pair of lightweight design for vision loupes before graduation

 

[ItsGavinC]

Mine are also SurgiTel, and while I like them, I do think that they are too heavy. But having said that, they do wonders for my posture. My back can hurt after only 30 minutes of heavy working in the lab, whereas I can go hours and hours if using my loupes because the focal distance ensures correct posture. If I'm hunched over then the view is blurry.

So, while I don't really need them for magnification on most things (I'd say 90% I can do without magnification), I do enjoy them for the postural benefits they provide.

 

[jayjay]

I bought surgitel 2.5x loupes, that are the flip-up type from a classmate for 1/2 price ($350) and I hate them. Most of my classmates use Orascoptic through-the-lens and I regret not buying those. (I think they paid $700 new). They're lighter, more comfortable and just made better. The part that goes over my ear is all bent out of shape b/c it's made out of cheap bendable metal (although maybe it's because I don't take good care of them :| )

just my .02

 

[DcS]

I have orascoptics and I love them. I too am a UNC student and actually did not even get the loupes until the middle of 2nd year. Personally for COD in spring 1st year I didn't really see much need for them, so I waited on buying them. The only plus I can see about getting them in 1st year is that you will be used to them once you get to clinic. The ones I have have the new elliptical ones and they are very light and have good magnification.

I can remember the day I decided to buy them. I was in clinic doing a class V prep on 30 and there was 1 spot of decay I kept chasing deeper and deeper. I couldn't seem to get at it and it was getting close to the pulp. Well when a faculty came by he informed me why I couldn't get at it...it was on the circumference of the tunnel, not at the deepest point. Sure enough, one upward touch of the bur and it was gone. From that day I decided it would be in my and my patients' best interest to get loupes. Even though they came out to be about 800 bucks IMO it's well worth it, especially since when you get out in practice they are about 4-500 more than the discount you get as a student.

 

[adamlc18]

DcS

When does orascoptic come by the school? The Designs for Vision Rep came by and of course the first rep you see is always persuasive since I dont know much about optics. I was thinking of getting loupes for 105 since the instructors wear loupes to grade us from what I hear. Also, do you know if we can get extra financial aid to purchase loupes?

 

[drPheta]

Just a note: I have surgitel loupes also, but they are a little front heavy because I have prescription lenses. I think I'll switch over to plain lenses and go back to using contacts one day, maybe.

That said, my loupes are awesome. I used to hate them, cause the binoculars would always loosen. I bumped into a Surgitel rep at a dental expo, mentioned my problem with the loupes, and they sent me a repair kit ASAP. They're now better than ever.

Definitely a best buy for your dental school years. Old habits are hard to break, so start good ones now.

 

[DcS]

DcS

When does orascoptic come by the school? The Designs for Vision Rep came by and of course the first rep you see is always persuasive since I dont know much about optics. I was thinking of getting loupes for 105 since the instructors wear loupes to grade us from what I hear. Also, do you know if we can get extra financial aid to purchase loupes?

Hey as far as financial aid, I am almost positive they will cover it. Call the finaid office for the undergrad and ask...most likely you will have to buy them, then show them the receipt to get reimbursed. I would check first though.

The rep for orascoptic that comes is Peter Lopez(s). I have his card somewhere so will look for it to give you his email. I'm sure he is coming soon, but if you let him know you and some classmates would like a pitch i'm sure he will come down as soon as he can.

 

[zimaad]

I am also a D1 and was thinking of getting loupes. I asked some D3's at my school and they said they are extremely useful, but since you don't work with patients yet as a D1, your working distance may be different. Just something to think about.

 

[toothcaries]

I am also a D1 and was thinking of getting loupes. I asked some D3's at my school and they said they are extremely useful, but since you don't work with patients yet as a D1, your working distance may be different. Just something to think about.

??
your working distance should be exactly the same.

treat your typodont as it is your patient.
...imo, it's in your best interest to develop good habits relating to posture from the very beginning.

 

[45540]

??
your working distance should be exactly the same.

treat your typodont as it is your patient.
...imo, it's in your best interest to develop good habits relating to posture from the very beginning.

At UT we're required to get surgitel 2.5x lenses for our first year. I think they run 600+ for us, but i think it'll be good to have when working with the dentsim and the preps.

 

[TuffyDMD]

At UT we're required to get surgitel 2.5x lenses for our first year. I think they run 600+ for us, but i think it'll be good to have when working with the dentsim and the preps.

You're basically wasting your money. Come on guys, this isn't brain surgery. Dentists don't need loupes. The dentist I worked for said that as long as you get all the kerries out you're golden. It really doesnt matter what the prep looks like. He used only composite and he said the tooth structure was bonded together so you don't need to worry about unsupported enamel rods.

 

[ItsGavinC]

You're basically wasting your money. Come on guys, this isn't brain surgery. Dentists don't need loupes. The dentist I worked for said that as long as you get all the kerries out you're golden.

A couple of things:

1) your post is short-sighted. I agree that not all dentists need loupes, but to say that dentists don't need loupes is a broad statement. For me the loupes have nothing to do with really being able to see well (although they do help that), but moreso help me with my posture which is a MUCH bigger issue for me.

2) I can see that you aren't a dentist nor a dental student, so you probalby have little first-hand experience as to the benefit that loupes provide (either through magnification or through postural benefits).

3) "kerries" don't exist, but "caries" is a disease. "Caries" is not plural (just as the disease "syphillis" doesn't mean you have more than one syphillitic lesions).

4) In pre-clinical labwork, handling caries isn't the name of the game. The game is matching your prep to the instructor's prep, and getting line angles and other measurements to the exact specs that the instructor wants. "But I took care of the carious lesion" does NOT equate to an "A" grade in the lab, even if it is the point in a real scenario.

 

[trypmo]

You're basically wasting your money. Come on guys, this isn't brain surgery. Dentists don't need loupes. The dentist I worked for said that as long as you get all the kerries out you're golden. It really doesnt matter what the prep looks like. He used only composite and he said the tooth structure was bonded together so you don't need to worry about unsupported enamel rods.

I initially parsed "kerries" as a political allusion. 🙄

 

[DcS]

The dentist I worked for said that as long as you get all the kerries out you're golden.

LMFAO I wish I could get rid of all the "kerries" in this area w/ my highspeed by november.