Loupes

[MnBr63]

I'm about to start dental school this coming July and I often hear that not many incoming students budget for purchasing loupes. I wanted to get some feedback from students and their opinions of loupes. How much do they help? How much should I plan to spend? Any information on the subject is appreciated.

 

[tinman831]

Your school will probably give you the opportunity to purchase a pair through them. I'm sure they'll be able to give you some sort of discount on whatever pair they recommend.

 

[desert rat]

You don't need them to practice dentistry. I purchased mine in the third year. Most all my classmates never had a pair.

I would say, buy them if you need them, but if not don't worry about them until you graduate.

My favorite brand is orescopic. They feel the best and have been around forever.

 

[dr.rex]

i have orascoptic 2.5 mag and i hated them at first but once you get used to them you wont want to work without them....and for those going to case you dont really have a choice you have to get loupes and you pretty much have to get orascoptic.

 

[toothfairy85]

UTHSCSA requires students to use them in the clinic. This year was the first year they wanted DS1 students to buy them, so we can start getting used to them. Unfortunately, we don't do a whole lot during our first year that you would need them for. I have them, but I haven't used them that much at all, so I hope they prove to be beneficial next year. We have to have them during 2nd year in pre-clinic to get accustomed to them, and since our professors will grade our practicals with loupes, it's good to have them.

 

[LeoDDS]

I wanted to get some feedback from students and their opinions of loupes. How much do they help?

They do help A LOT. Not with just the magnification, but enforcing good posture (you have to sit 14inches away to see properly). In preclinic posture doesn't matter as much, but once you start clinic you'll find yourself tempted to bend forwards in order to see better...which is very bad in the long run! Having loupes will force to sit up straight and away from the field, so in the end your back and neck will thank you!

How much should I plan to spend? Any information on the subject is appreciated.

It ranges from $300 (the really really cheap ones that aren't good) to $1200 (swiss ones, lightweight titanium). Don't buy them yet tho--once you're in dental school, the vendors will come to YOU and offer you student discounts!

 

[pmantz]

When you are working on the scale of fractions of milimeters you will find your face migrating closer and closer to your manikin, you will also find that your back will start to hurt. A funny coincidence was about 3-4 weeks after using my loupes I found my back didn't hurt anymore. Overall magnification and optics aside, they force you to sit in a more ergonomic position, the sooner you learn this (your first semester) the better. Like using indirect vision, loupes have become second nature. I use orascopic 3.5

 

[NSDDS]

Loupes should definitely purchased while you are in dental school because the discount you get is pretty significant. I purchased a pair of Surgitel which are ok and I bought them for about $500. Now the same pair for a dentist are about $900. Definitely a good investment though. You'd be surprised at how much smoother and easier preps and endo gets with magnification. I would personally get orascoptic or design for vision and 3.5X.

 

[pietrodds]

ask an ortho resident if the want to sell their pair if they have them.


I have 3 pair.... surgitel 2.5, zeiss 4.3, and orascopics 3.0. I've only had the orascopics for 2 months but they're extremely comfortable and clearity is great. I hardly use the other two at all. The zeiss's have great magnification but are so heavy that I only use them for endo.

 

[MnBr63]

Thanks so much for all the help. I knew to wait until the school said something about them, but this is giving me a great heads about what to expect. (and it was refreshing to have a thread that didn't ask "how much do dentists make?")