dental loupes light

Taking care of the dental instruments is essential and a frequently asked question regarding how to take care of the dental loupes. Often people overlook this. But this is essential for the smooth running of your loupe.

In this article, you will understand the proper ways to maintain the quality of dental loupes, the image quality, and to check whether you are complying with legislation or not.

Department of Health Guidance for Decontamination 

Surely you will be aware of the primary care dental practices under the Department of Health Guidance for Decontamination. As stated, dental loupes can be reused if they are appropriately cleaned following the manufacturer's instructions. It has also stated that loupes must be cleaned when they become “visibly dirty and at the end of every session." It also knows that loupes are challenging to clean because of their small components.

This can be why people don’t often clean their loupes when they look dirty. To make this easy, we would like to provide you with some good practices and quick options to help you keep the loupes clean and in the best condition possible in the easiest way one could. 

If you have used a dental loupe, then you must have noticed that it has trim and some movable parts. Combined with the fact that they are put on your face for a very long duration, it can get collected makeup, sweat, hair gel, and of course, the day-to-day dust and dirt and other splitters and splashes during the treatment. 

As you examine them closely, you will notice this dirt can quickly build up infection risk, which could unglue a nicely managed practice. So, it becomes essential to clean them up.

What should be avoided to maintain loupes?

The first thing that one must take care of is to note down the things you must not do to your loupes. The obviousness of this may surprise you. 

Always be careful not to submerge your loupes into the water because the loupes optical units are not water resistant, and drying them and the frame hinge may lead to damage and misting. To help prevent damage, place them in a dry place and mostly keep them away from water. 

If you are thinking of sterilizing your loupes, you should never autoclave them as it will result in irreversible damage to your loupes. Any moisture should be avoided, so don't also spray on your loupes or else it will create moisture at the optical barrier. 

Avoid using cotton wipes as they are heavy clothes whose prolonged use can cause scratches to the optics or the lenses of the dental loupes and then you won’t be able to use them properly.

What can be done? Maintaining a good routine is what it’s about

Now that you know what things should be avoided let's begin with what should be done to maintain your loupes for a longer time. Also, you must purchase a good quality loupe as they last longer, so go and visit the Loupedirect website and get the best dental loupes set that best suit your usage.

  1. Keep eyes on your loupes

In some cases, you may clean your loupes between a couple of patients or just a few patients at a time; it depends on the work you are performing. 

  1. Get rid of debris and dust

Using compressed air, you can remove debris and dust from your loupes. Usually, in the cleaning task, people use water, but using water on your loupes can lead to severe damage to them. To avoid any moisture around your loupes, clean them with compressed air. Very carefully, you will have to direct it to an area that is difficult to reach out to and may have built up dirt. If you use the flip-up loupes, these places can be nose pieces and bridges, under the visual barrier, frame hinge arms, and the hinge mechanism.

  1. Cleaning loupes

You don’t require special tools like loupe wires to clean your loupes. You can use the usual things to clean and disinfect the best dental loupes like the ones you would use to clean surfaces and furniture. Just take care that you don't get too liberal about it.

  1. Drying loupe

Now that you can clean your loupe, you will need to dry them, and you can do it by using some compressed air from a distance, which will dry your loupes. Then they would be ready to use again on your next patient. 

Making this process a regular habit in your daily routine will help clean and maintain your loupes for longer. 

Bottom line

Take note of these things when using your loupes to maintain them for longer than expected. It is also suggested to get good quality loupes as they would last longer, so you can visit the Loupedirect website to choose the best dental loupes according to your use.