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by Dr Daniel Eastcott, Kawana Dental, Buddina, QLD
I wore straight loupes for years but suffered from neck pain and headaches. It was so bad, I was having cortisone injections into my cervical spine. Switching over to refractive Ergo loupes sorted out all my problems.
What’s good about it
Ergo loupes are refractive, angled down at almost 90 degrees. When treating a patient, you’re looking straight ahead with your head in a natural position, centred above your neck. It takes a little time to feel comfortable as your hands and eyes are a bit divorced from each other. Once you get used to it, however, it’s a game changer. You work in the optimal position for your neck, back and shoulders.
I have 7.5X magnification but that’s reduced due to the refractive lenses. It ends up being about 5.5X. I use these loupes for every procedure—check-ups, cleans, everything. Being able to see so clearly allows me to do much better dentistry.
A rep from Byron Medical came to the practice and adjusted the loupes specifically for me. They looked at my working length distance, posture and pupillary distance. I’m slightly short-sighted so the lenses on the glasses were set at my prescription. I can look straight through the glasses with everything in focus and then drop my eyes down to look through the loupes.
These loupes can be used with an overhead light but I have a headlamp attached to the bridge of the glasses. It’s a rechargeable magnetic battery unit so there’s no wires to get in the way. I recommend trying these loupes if you suffer from any kind of neck or head pain. Working without discomfort is a huge advantage.
What’s not so good
These particular loupes are manufactured in Israel so if they need repairs, this can take longer than normal.
