Surgitel, DFV or Orascoptic

[Sauce]

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I apologizes in advance for another loupes question but I've got a large purchase too make in a couple of weeks and want to make the right choice. We have reps from Surgitel, Orascoptic and DFV at our school this week. I was left with the following impressions:

Surgitel:

I liked the Oakley Radar Frames with the TTL SF 3.0x oculars. They felt comfortable and the reps seemed really helpful.

Orascoptic:

Not too impressed because the rep didn't seem as confident in his knowledge of the product. I thought the ocular lenses were clear but I think it might have just been the pair I tried on was set up well for my eyes.

DFV:

Seemed like a solid loupe company. They were a little more expensive and didn't seem to have anything that Surgitel didn't. Not bad but not my favorite.


Now for my questions:

1. How accurate are my impressions above?
2. Being a new DS how much magnification should I go with?
3. Do the sports frames like Oakley tend to hold up as well as the traditional (Buddy Holly etc) I felt like they were the most comfortable for me but want something that is going to be sturdy.
4. Any other major factors to consider

 

[senpai]

I apologizes in advance for another loupes question but I've got a large purchase too make in a couple of weeks and want to make the right choice. We have reps from Surgitel, Orascoptic and DFV at our school this week. I was left with the following impressions:

Surgitel:

I liked the Oakley Radar Frames with the TTL SF 3.0x oculars. They felt comfortable and the reps seemed really helpful.

Orascoptic:

Not too impressed because the rep didn't seem as confident in his knowledge of the product. I thought the ocular lenses were clear but I think it might have just been the pair I tried on was set up well for my eyes.

DFV:

Seemed like a solid loupe company. They were a little more expensive and didn't seem to have anything that Surgitel didn't. Not bad but not my favorite.


Now for my questions:

1. How accurate are my impressions above?
2. Being a new DS how much magnification should I go with?
3. Do the sports frames like Oakley tend to hold up as well as the traditional (Buddy Holly etc) I felt like they were the most comfortable for me but want something that is going to be sturdy.
4. Any other major factors to consider

My opinion on #2:
They always suggest a 2.5x which is worthless IMO. I was told to get higher magnification from some friends and ended up getting 3.5x. Honestly, I've gotten used to them and could maybe even go a little higher.
If your going to spend over $1,000 on a piece of equipment, have it do more for you than what picking up your grandmother's reading glasses will do for you which is what the 2.5x is like in my opinion...
You're going to want higher magnification, might as well just train your eyes from the beginning...

 

[Flipper405]

I agree with the above... I have 2.5x and regret not going higher from the beginning.

 

[zriceman]

I apologizes in advance for another loupes question but I've got a large purchase too make in a couple of weeks and want to make the right choice. We have reps from Surgitel, Orascoptic and DFV at our school this week. I was left with the following impressions:

Surgitel:

I liked the Oakley Radar Frames with the TTL SF 3.0x oculars. They felt comfortable and the reps seemed really helpful.

Orascoptic:

Not too impressed because the rep didn't seem as confident in his knowledge of the product. I thought the ocular lenses were clear but I think it might have just been the pair I tried on was set up well for my eyes.

DFV:

Seemed like a solid loupe company. They were a little more expensive and didn't seem to have anything that Surgitel didn't. Not bad but not my favorite.


Now for my questions:

1. How accurate are my impressions above?
2. Being a new DS how much magnification should I go with?
3. Do the sports frames like Oakley tend to hold up as well as the traditional (Buddy Holly etc) I felt like they were the most comfortable for me but want something that is going to be sturdy.
4. Any other major factors to consider

Lower powered loupes are the preferred choice for beginners since they require almost no learning curve. However, once you become adjusted to the loupe, chances are you may be "hungry" for more magnification.

I would recommend 3.5x Prism loupes. DFV sells these as Expanded Field loupes. Orascoptic sells them as HiRes Plus loupes. Surgitel sells these as Compact Prisms. I personally use DFV 4.5 prisms and I love them. It took me two practice sessions to get accustomed to these after having operative course in my D1. If you haven't done any preps I would recommend starting with 3.5x prisms.

From dentists who've owned Buddy Hollys, they describe them as "build like a tank." If you want sturdy, these are the ones you want. Some plastic frames, not all, do break after several years.

Other factors to consider are:

1. For TTL loupes, ask for deepest angle of declination for your occulars. (this minimizes your neck flexion)
2. get your working distance measure with a maniguin in place. Go to your simlab for this. Make sure your forearms is parallel to the floor.
3. TTL vs Flip up. This is a personal choice. Each have its pro's and con's. I went with TTL b/c the occulars are closer to your eyes so your field of view is wider, the occulars are fixed in the lense so they won't get bumped out of placement. The con's of TTLs are: require exact measurements (proper interpupillary distance), may be more expensive, limited angle of declination compared to flip ups, and can't flip them out of the way when talking to patients, signing papers, etc.

Flip ups usually offer greater angle of declination, may be a little less expensive, and you can flip up the occulars when talking to patients, signing papers,etc. Flip ups do have more moving parts, so you might need to adjust them more often, they tend to be slightly heavier, and since the occulars are futher away from the eyes, the filed of view is slighty narrower.

These are all i can think of so far. Hope this helps.

 

[HupHolland]

zriceman hit the nail on the head...

My opinion: go with Orascoptic or Designs for Vision (BUDDY HOLLY!). Both are solid companies. I have heard horror stories about Surgitel customer service at my school.

Also, go with 3.5x EF mag (3.8x if going w/ orascoptic) TTL loupes. You won't be disappointed. Honestly, everyone complains about how the Buddy Holly frames from DFV look, but here is my take on it: If you want to look like a minor league baseball player, then get the Surgitel Oakley flip ups; if you want to look like a dentist, get the DFV Buddy Holly loupes.

Hup

 

[jay47]

zriceman hit the nail on the head...

My opinion: go with Orascoptic or Designs for Vision (BUDDY HOLLY!). Both are solid companies. I have heard horror stories about Surgitel customer service at my school.

Also, go with 3.5x EF mag (3.8x if going w/ orascoptic) TTL loupes. You won't be disappointed. Honestly, everyone complains about how the Buddy Holly frames from DFV look, but here is my take on it: If you want to look like a minor league baseball player, then get the Surgitel Oakley flip ups; if you want to look like a dentist, get the DFV Buddy Holly loupes.

Hup

Lol at the baseball thing. Honestly, just get the ones that feel most comfortable, durable, and have the best magnification quality. Like he said, don't go for looks. They are a plus, but not the most important thing by far. I have owned Oakley's for years, and after a while, the plastic starts to rub off, the frames break down, and they won't fit as well. But, they are great while they last (and I wear them every single day, many hours a day, much like you may wear loupes.)

I opted for the Q optics brand we had at our school and I have been satisfied with them- metal frame, quality build, great quality optics compared to some of the others I have tried (I tried on a friend's Surgitel- very blurry compared to mine). Don't know about other brands, but I have been happy with these- except I wish I would have gotten 3.5X.


GO FOR THE 3.5X's!!! Don't get the 2.5, you will regret it.

 

[drhobie7]

Designs for Vision is definitely the leader in surgery. All fields of surgery. I hear great things about them from our hospital dentistry peeps. I bought orascoptic in dental school and have been calling/emailing the rep trying to get my working length adjusted...no reply yet. Ho hum, I guess there's not much motivation when I'm not going to buy a new pair of loupes. 🙁

 

[monreal]

Designs for Vision is definitely the leader in surgery. All fields of surgery. I hear great things about them from our hospital dentistry peeps. I bought orascoptic in dental school and have been calling/emailing the rep trying to get my working length adjusted...no reply yet. Ho hum, I guess there's not much motivation when I'm not going to buy a new pair of loupes. 🙁

What do you use loupes for? None of our surgeons or residents use any.

About the rep, you can email them inquiring about their new offers and asking them to call you back. Once they do, you realize that you want to give your old pair a chance.

 

[drhobie7]

What do you use loupes for? None of our surgeons or residents use any.

About the rep, you can email them inquiring about their new offers and asking them to call you back. Once they do, you realize that you want to give your old pair a chance.

I actually never thought I would use them again for dentoalveolar stuff, and figured they just be used for the occasional nerve repair. But the two residents above me said they've been using them for third molars/implants and really like it. They say it helps keep your back straight. Haven't tried it yet but if I can help my posture I'll give it a try. That's a good idea about how to contact the rep. Thx.

 

[monreal]

I actually never thought I would use them again for dentoalveolar stuff, and figured they just be used for the occasional nerve repair. But the two residents above me said they've been using them for third molars/implants and really like it. They say it helps keep your back straight. Haven't tried it yet but if I can help my posture I'll give it a try. That's a good idea about how to contact the rep. Thx.

Thanks man. I am interested in hearing what you think once you try them. What magnification your seniors are using? I am guessing nothing more than X3, right? I usually wear my 2.5 flip-ups for exo but they are always "flipped up" except when I am picking a root tip.

 

[drhobie7]

Thanks man. I am interested in hearing what you think once you try them. What magnification your seniors are using? I am guessing nothing more than X3, right? I usually wear my 2.5 flip-ups for exo but they are always "flipped up" except when I am picking a root tip.

The guys above me are using 2.5x mag. Same loupes they got in dental school. They didn't want to drop another grand on a new pair. I imagine if you really needed magnification in the OR (for say a nerve repair or microvascular anastomosis) it would be important to have something more like 6x. Not sure though.