How to get more from your loupes

If a dentist was to hear the name Quality Aspirators, he or she would most likely think of a company that provides aspiration and vacuum equipment for the dental office.

While this is a fair assumption, there is much more to this dental company from Duncanville, Texas, that has been serving the dental business for more than 40 years. In that time, they have become an industry leader in manufacturing of dental surgical aspirators, fiber optic lights, endodontic aspirators and various other products.

Another area where Quality Aspirators excels is in dental vision technology. They are the manufacturers of Q-Optics Prismatic Loupes and LED lighting technology. Most recently, they were the 2017 recipient of the Cellerant “Best of Class” Technology Award. With multiple players in the dental vision market, Quality Aspirators wanted to seek some expert knowledge regarding how their Q-Optics line of loupes performed in comparison to the other industry leaders.

Brent Downs, director of sales at Quality Aspirators, reached out to Catapult Education for its unbiased review of their product. Catapult Education, formerly known as Catapult Group, was founded by Lou Graham, DDS, in 2013. The group is comprised of various key opinion leaders (KOLs) and teaching professionals throughout the United States and Canada. These professionals are well versed in many aspects of dentistry and have extremely unique interests in their individual practices. There was no compensation to these professionals for their evaluation of this line of products.

About the product

Q-Optics offers many options when it comes to dental vision. They have two main lines of dental loupes: the Custom Through the Lens (TTL) Loupes and the Flip-Up Loupes. For the purpose of this review, Catapult Education was engaged to review the Custom TTL Prism Loupes. More information can be found on the other lines at www.q-optics.com.

The entire line of Custom TTL Loupes is designed uniquely to perfectly fit the user’s facial features through a proprietary measurement system. The True-Fit™ Digital Measurement System builds upon traditional measuring systems to ensure optimal loupe placement, thus creating a better ergonomic fit. Working distances are customizable between 10 and 26 inches.

Although several levels of magnification are available, the prism loupes are available in 3.5x, 4.0x and 4.5x with an expanded field of vision. The loupes are constructed from advanced materials to produce a lightweight, ergonomic and comfortable design. The magnification mechanism is contained in a titanium unibody housing, which is designed to align the lenses and prisms in a unique optical cage. Carbon fiber is utilized on the exterior of the housing for weight reduction and nose relief.

The evaluation

For this evaluation, 10 KOLs participated. Each of the participants has used magnification in his or her practices; however, only three participants had any experience with a “prism” loupe. In addition, only one of the 10 participants had any previous experience with the brand Q-Optics.

The fitting process was impressive, as agreed upon by all reviewers. It was noted that the steps for fitting were different from any of the reviewers were used to in the past. The fit was performed then verified prior to fabrication of the loupes. The fitter also verified using a digital camera for reference during the manufacturing process. All reviewers received precise-fitting loupes.

The initial impression to the product was extremely favorable. The loupes were rated above average by all 10 participants, with eight rating them as “excellent.” They were referenced as “wonderful,” “best frames” and “so crisp and clear.”

The weight and comfort was rated “excellent” by all reviewers. It was found that, in comparison to other brands, the weight was so favorable that the strap wasn’t needed for the majority of the users.

Once again, an extremely favorable (100 percent) response was given for the clarity of vision. It was noted that the vision was crisper than loupes worn in the past. It was also noted that the field of vision was wider and entirely clear compared to competitors. It should also be noted that most of the reviewers chose a higher level of magnification than previously worn.

Conclusion

Dentists are striving to provide conservative and minimally invasive dentistry on a daily basis. One of our most valuable assets to providing this quality of dentistry is our vision. It is imperative that we have a clear and magnified field of vision to achieve our goals. The Q-Optics Prismatic Loupes are a great adjunct to our practices. Their advancements have placed them in a league of their own. Q-Optics has been given the Catapult Education Vote of Confidence.