Associate dentist Tehseen Khan describes the dramatic improvement made to his dentistry by using correctly fitted loupes and a light.
Loupes and a light can play a major role in ergonomics and how your body feels at the end of a long working day, as efforts to lean over to see better into the patient’s mouth result in tension in the neck, back and shoulders, eventually putting clinicians at serious risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
Taking the decision to purchase my ExamVision 3.3HD loupes and Focus 6000K Xtend light has been a life-changing experience for me and they have transformed my working practises. The additional light and magnification help to deliver a greater field of vision, allowing me to see into all corners of the mouth, from molar to molar, not just two or three teeth at a time.
Because my loupes have been correctly measured by a trained and experienced consultant, I can now work in a comfortable position, ensuring I sit up straight and don’t slump. My posture has improved tremendously since I started wearing loupes and this has really helped to reduce any strain on my back, neck and shoulders. Now, instead of leaning in from the side of the patient as I did before, putting a particular strain on my neck, I position myself upright at 12 o’clock with everything in the mouth in clear and precise focus.
The LED light is a terrific support, providing light in exactly the right place without the need to constantly alter your position or change the angle of the mirror. With three modes of light intensity to choose from, I can adjust the lighting to suit the area of the mouth I am working in. Another big plus point for me is that the battery life of the light is really good. Despite the fact I use my light all day, every day, it only needs to be charged occasionally and takes very little time to do so.
Easing the stress
I’ve been wearing my loupes for over a year now. I use them for almost all my dental treatments, from routine check-ups and fillings to more complex surgical procedures. Magnification is crucial to be able to see the earliest signs of tooth decay and any changes to the surface of the tooth. When fitting crowns or veneers, for example, the margins have to be so precise and these procedures are so much easier with loupes.
Being lightweight and comfortable to wear, I really feel the benefits at the end of the day and consequently feel far more relaxed. Working all day without loupes and straining to see into the mouth I found I often ended up with a headache and tension in my neck and shoulders, not to mention feeling exhausted. Being a dental professional is stressful enough without feeling the effects of bending and stretching over patients, but thankfully for me these problems have all disappeared now, thanks to my loupes and light.
While many clinicians now routinely use loupes throughout the working day, I believe that more hygienists should be actively encouraged to use them as well. Just as with clinicians, hygienists can suffer from the same neck, shoulder and back problems by not wearing loupes during patient treatment.
A worthwhile journey
My entire loupe journey has been extremely worthwhile, from the initial consultation in my surgery right down to the beautiful carrying case my loupes arrived in, complete with my name engraved on the front. I can honestly say that loupes have changed the way I operate in a truly positive way and I would absolutely recommend the service from Evident to everyone.
To read Part 1 of this blog, please click here.
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