When performing dental procedures and examinations, it is very important that you do not just use a dental loupe with proper magnification level but you also have a good amount of illumination. Sometimes, the right magnification devices are not enough for you to clearly see every part of the oral cavity. You will also have to use proper lighting device that can help enhance your vision and allow you to see each and every essential part of the teeth and the mouth like for instance the true color of the teeth and gums of your patients which you can normally miss or overlook when you do not use the right illumination.

Titanium Flip Up Dental Surgical Loupes Side

Dental Headlight vs Overhead Light


There is two main equipment that can serve as your primary source of light: the overhead light and the dental headlight. Although these devices can both provide you with the amount of illumination you need, the two differ from each other in many ways. Some of these differences are:

  • Size-The overhead light is bulky while the dental headlight is so portable. You can wrap the headlight around your head or wear it together with the dental loupes.

  • Storage- The overhead light can consume much space in your clinic while a dental headlight can be stored in your desk or storage rack. It does not consume any floor space either. 
  • Convenience- The overhead light requires you to manually adjust its angle from time to time to make sure that your working area is properly illuminated. This can be a bit inconvenient most especially if you are trying to keep your focus on your work. On the other end, the dental headlight is very convenient. Because you will be wearing it on your head, you do not have to use your hand to adjust its angle. If you need to move the light to another area, you will just have to move your head to the direction you want. This can help you focus more on the job you are doing.

Surgical Loupes Silver

  • Cost- The overhead light is far more expensive than the dental LED headlight. Although there are also some cheap and portable overhead bulbs available today that you can attach to the top area of the dental chair.  
  • Shadow- Because the overhead light is located on top of you, most likely, it will cast a shadow on your operating field. You need to reposition the light or yourself in order to see better and to eliminate the shadow. This can be both irritating and disturbing at times. The headlight, on the other end, is specially designed to completely eliminate this problem.

Headlight

  • Energy- The LED headlights are basically powered by a battery which can be recharged when needed while overhead lights generally need to be plugged into an electric power source to function. The LED headlight also generate less heat which makes them more energy efficient.

Final words...

Although these two primary sources have many differences and likeness, it is still you who can tell which one is the best for you. Choose the one you are comfortable with and the one that can best help you complete your job well.