Seeing is Believing

Magnification is quickly becoming as essential as the instruments dental hygienists use to treat their patients. While  nearly 80% of our respondents indicated that the dentists they work with use loupes, only 16%  went on to purchase this product for their dental hygienists. The vast majority of respondents purchased their own loupes-but only half indicated they knew what to look for in a “good” pair.

What respondents did seem to understand was the inherent ergonomic benefits. Properly fitted loupes will not only bring the patient’s oral cavity into better focus, but also will promote improved posture and optimal ergonomics for a long and productive dental hygiene career. Regardless of style-flip-up or through-the-lens-the most important factors, ergonomically speaking, are the working distance (measured from the opera tor’s eye to the work surface) and declination angle (determined by the head tilt).