Despite being a bit expensive and in spite of the significantly long and challenging learning curve when it comes to using them as well as of their peculiar look, many dentists, hygienists, and other dental care professionals still choose to use dental loupes. If you are able to pick the dental loupes that perfectly fit you, this learning curve can become less challenging. That is why you need to make sure that the one you will buy is the right set for you. To help you find the best magnifying loupes, we have come up with this four-part blog series about the different important characteristics, factors, or features that you need to look into when shopping for loupes.

Depth of View

The depth of field or depth of view is the range of focus or the depth of the area that is visible when working with the dental magnifying loupe. It is the measurement of how far or how near the user can lean in or out but still be able to clearly see the focused area. For a deeper area of visibility when looking through the dental magnifying loupe, choose the one with a larger depth of view.

 The size of the depth of view or depth of field is directly associated with both the working distance and the magnification factor. The larger the depth of field is, the longer the working distance will be, and vice versa. The larger the depth of field is, the lower the magnification factor will be and vice versa.

Field of View

The field of view, also known as the width of field, is the size of the image or the diameter of the field that you can see when looking through the loupes. The field of view is directly associated with the working distance, depth of field, and magnification factor. Dental loupes with a wider field of view have a greater depth of field and a longer working distance. While those loupes with a narrower field of view have a higher magnification factor.

Weight

 Another important factor that you need to consider is the weight of the portable magnification loupes. You will typically use the loupes a couple of times every clinical day. The duration of each use greatly varies depending on the dental procedure you are performing. It can range from a few seconds to an hour or more.

Although dental loupes seem to be light at first use, its weight can build up when you use it for extended periods of time. Once the weight starts to build up, it can cause discomfort and even pain not only on the bridge of your nose but also on your head, neck, and shoulder which can be a cause of disruption on your part, making it more difficult for you to stay focused on what you are doing. Preferably, pick the lightest loupe available in the market for utmost comfort.

This concludes the second part of this blog series. In the next three parts of the series, we will be discussing the other important factors like the interpupillary distance, working distance, magnification level, quality of the optics and frame, angle of declination, resolution, design, and types of dental loupes.