Small Pocket Angled Mirror Online?

[subtle1epiphany]

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I'm a third-year medical student and I've recently have several times in the past month of clinicals where I would have loved to have an angled mirror available. To be honest, yes, it is also after I watched the recent NEJM video on examination of the larynx.
I figure that a small angled mirror is easy to carry and could be very useful at some times.
I briefly looked on AllHeart.com and ran a Google search for a metal "dental"-type mirror, but only found a couple plastic ones that looked like they might break in my coat.
Would it be difficult to attain a level of proficiency in basic laryngeal exam techniques with such a mirror, and where could I find an inexpensive metal mirror online?

 

[armorshell]

https://jawproducts.authsecure.com/....html?osCsid=bb0462c5bae4d67f45395119fa4b8a75

 

[1992Corolla]

look at some dental suppliers like Henry Schein. They will have all sorts of things to look at. Various mirror sizes, coatings (like rhodiumcoated mirors for introral pictures), etc. I would imagine the price would be less than 10 bucks a mirror.

Search google for dental mouth mirrors or similar. If you have no luck I have one for about 50 bucks in my dental kit I could 'let go' of for 45😉

(I have to get used to dental fees somehow!)

 

[subtle1epiphany]

Thanks for the info guys!

A brief note, I'm continually amazed at the specialized types of equipment I find in all the different procedural specialties. Things that have such a specific function, like this: https://jawproducts.authsecure.com/distal-bender-p-1578.html
I'm sure a part of it is how much of a newbie I still am to health care...

But random thoughts aside, I'll be putting in an order for the mirror, it's not really expensive and even if I use it a couple times it'll be fun and helpful.
Feel free to post any tips on how to use it properly (so I don't embarrass myself). Thanks again!

 

[armorshell]

Hold it like you would hold a pen, not like you would hold a screwdriver. If you're having trouble keeping it stable, use your pinky or ring finger as a fulcrum on the patients teeth.

 

[aphistis]

Stay on your toes. You're pretty close to the soft palate back there, and some folks have pretty delicate gag reflexes. 😛

Also, a little Rain-X will reduce fogging.

 

[armorshell]

Stay on your toes. You're pretty close to the soft palate back there, and some folks have pretty delicate gag reflexes. 😛

Also, a little Rain-X will reduce fogging.

Rain-X? Really? Just wiping it on the inside of their cheek works for me.

 

[gryffindor]

If you're walking around with this mirror in the pocket of your lab coat, you probably want to get the disposable ones. Once you stick the metal one in your patient's throat, how are you going to sterilize it and get it returned back to you within a massive hospital? Bye bye mirror. When we used to round in our residency, we would take disposable ones with us to the in-patient floors. They're pretty durable and won't break in your coat pocket.

Look for "disposable mouth mirrors" or "disposable dental mirrors." Placing an order through a dental supply company would probably be a good bet, especially if you tell them you are a student.

 

[aphistis]

Rain-X? Really? Just wiping it on the inside of their cheek works for me.

Me too, but if he's going to be carrying it around with him and having to manually disinfect it, I figured less direct tissue contact is better. I agree with gryffindor's suggestion, though; the disposable ones are probably the OP's best bet.

 

[subtle1epiphany]

If you're walking around with this mirror in the pocket of your lab coat, you probably want to get the disposable ones. Once you stick the metal one in your patient's throat, how are you going to sterilize it and get it returned back to you within a massive hospital? Bye bye mirror. When we used to round in our residency, we would take disposable ones with us to the in-patient floors. They're pretty durable and won't break in your coat pocket.

Look for "disposable mouth mirrors" or "disposable dental mirrors." Placing an order through a dental supply company would probably be a good bet, especially if you tell them you are a student.

Yeah, I had thought of that as I was responding.

I know it isn't the best, but I had thought wiping it down with either an alcohol or bleach-type wipe would be decent. It's not the greatest solution, but maybe it's adequate?

It would be similar to some other items, actually that's a little more gross...hmmm...that's a small "dilemma." Maybe I'll order a metal one and several disposable ones and see what I can figure out. Getting a way to actually sterilize the metal one would be either a huge ordeal or not possible, so I'll have to see.

Thanks for the tips on usage!

 

[subtle1epiphany]

Last question: sizes.
The above website (post #2) gives me two options for the metal mirror, #4 and #5. It just says small and large, is there a huge difference? Any frame of reference someone could provide? Thanks! 👍

 

[1992Corolla]

maybe a couple of mm in diameter? If you are using it for the throat then go for the larger one for a larger view. It really isn't a big difference. The large is probably a little smaller than a quarter? The smaller one is a little larger than a nickel?