Mask fogs up loupes, tape hurts skin

[setupben]

Hey everyone,

Quick questions for you. When I wear my mask in clinic it is causing my loupes to fog up. To fix this I am putting tape at the top of my mask to my nose. But, now my nose is getting red and the skin is all dry.

Is there any type of tape we can use on skin that is not so harsh. Does anyone else have this problem?

Thanks so much.

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[IdahoDoc]

Hey everyone,

Quick questions for you. When I wear my mask in clinic it is causing my loupes to fog up. To fix this I am putting tape at the top of my mask to my nose. But, now my nose is getting red and the skin is all dry.

Is there any type of tape we can use on skin that is not so harsh. Does anyone else have this problem?

Thanks so much.

Bend the metal that is in the mask so it fits tight against your nose and you shouldn't need tape.

 

[Just Peachy]

When I put on my mask, I twist the elastic bands that go over my ears so that it makes a little figure 8 type shape on the side of my face. That helps decrease the fogging a lot for me. Did that explanation make any sense?

 

[Althingsdentist]

SetupBen,

You've inspired me - I'll cut a video on the simple technique in addition to what idahodoc has written. I had the same damned problem as well - I push the metal against my nose, and then form the metal on the top of the mask anteriorly at the ends to allow the hot air to exhaust out easier.

I'll shoot some footage tomorrow and post - I don't have any masks around the house (I checked).

Cheers

Ashley

 

[mamelons]

I do the figure eight thing with the ear loops masks. These masks are much better for me than the ones that tie.

I don't know what kind of tape you are using, but if you haven't tried it, look into trying the clear/white surgical tape. I don't know if it will work, but I would think it would be a little less irritating on the skin. You should be able to get it at Walgreens, CVS, or a medical supply store. Don't get the athletic tape though- the stuff to tape ankles. It would not feel good tearing that off your nose at the end of the clinic.

 

[The Hammer]

Go to Walgreens. Go into the eye care section. Buy a box of their brand Lens Wipes. Look on the box to make sure that they have a defogger in them. Wipe your loops with them and they won't fog

 

[HupHolland]

OP, are you just starting clinic? Just curious, cause when I started seeing patients for the first time my loupes would fog up constantly. As I became more confident, they would fog up less frequently and now they don't fog up at all. You're probably just a little nervous and breathing at a heavier level.

But I also recommend the figure 8 thing with the elastics as mentioned above. It seemed to help and to this day I still do it out of habit.

Hup

 

[lemoncurry]

I bend the wire so that there is a small opening over the bridge of my nose and try to position the loupes so that the nose piece is on top of the mask but the opening over the bridge is not blocked. I also do the figure 8 on the ear loops.

 

[DrJeff]

Step #1 - if you're using the "cone"/"cup" shaped masks vs. the flat, looks for like a napkin masks, ditch the "cone"/"cup" shaped ones! For me atleast those pre-formed cones/cups I can never get the metal band to conform to the shape of my face and hence get a good seal and as a result, fogging problems. The much more flexible "napkin" shaped ones I personally find tend to be much more moldable to one's nose/cheeks and as such I can get a much better seal and my incidence of fogging is essentially zero!

Step #2 - with practice/experience, you will get more comfortble, your pulse and respirations won't start increasing slightly when you go to pick up the handpiece and your overall incidence of fogging, no matter what type of mask you use will decrease!

 

[Althingsdentist]

Here is a video that I shot for you.

Enjoy.

Ashley

http://youtu.be/h85q1o2sWoI

 

[vlct0ria]

Here is a video that I shot for you.

Enjoy.

Ashley

http://youtu.be/h85q1o2sWoI

Thanks a bunch for making the video...foggy loupes are a constant issue for me!

 

[Althingsdentist]

No problem - fogging eyewear is a lifetime issue! Skiing, hockey, snowmobiling and of course, dentistry. (I'm Canadian),

 

[tinman831]

Doing the figure eight or making vent holes is creating a passageway for aerosols to get in. Not sure if thats a good idea. Anyone ever try RainX antifog or something similar on their lenses?

 

[setupben]

Thanks everyone for the great advice and video. This was some good information and I am going to try some of these techniques out and see what works.

 

[narutoguy15]

There is a tape called fogstops on amazon that you apply to the inside surface of your lens to help with fog. It only covers the place your eye goes through but it does the job.

 

[145bluz]

This is a common problem even for surgeons in medicine. They sell masks that have tape inside the mask. You pull off the plastic cover strip and it exposes a small adhesive strip. I use them in the OR because you want to keep a sterile field and playing around with the loupes intra-operatively would contaminate your gloves etc.