One irony of many for me this year was when my new ErgoPrism loupes by Lumadent arrived one week after dentistry shut down. My husband did get a splinter in April, and I ran straight to my new loupes to save the day! But I was still longing for the actual clinical experience. When I finally returned to the op, I immediately strapped on my new loupes to see how this cutting-edge technology would work in dental hygiene. I was a little skeptical. The ErgoPrism loupes are not your traditional loupes; the lenses work like a microscope, so you sit upright but can see below you—think periscope on a submarine but the other way around.
My last dentist had a mounted microscope I used once. It showed an amazingly detailed view of about two teeth, so I thought that there’s no way that kind of technology could work for hygiene. But I also knew that it was saving his back and neck, and after 20-plus years, I needed some relief. Well, I’m happy to say my skepticism was way off base!
My coworkers were all confused. In fact, my cohygienist thought I was just working by feel and not even looking in the patient’s mouth when I was scaling! But my straight posture and forward-facing head were indeed getting a crystal-clear view. I did explain this to the first few patients, worried they would think the same thing, but they didn’t seem concerned. And I have to tell you, I felt great.
An unexpected perk is how well these loupes work with face shields. I’ve heard many clinicians complain that their shield hits their chest when they lean their head forward with traditional loupes. With my forward-facing posture, this hasn’t been an issue. I’ve been using the LumaShield shield with the magnetic light mount that places my headlight outside my shield for easy adjusting and helps protect me from droplets and spatter without getting in the way. The increased working distance that the ErgoPrism Loupes provide is another infection control plus.
Over the years, loupes haven’t changed all that much; this is a significant innovation. I can genuinely see the ErgoPrism Loupes saving backs and necks, thereby careers everywhere.
Amanda Hill, BSDH, RDH, a practicing dental hygienist, industry educator, and key opinion leader, is passionate about the dental industry. She is a speaker, award-winning author, and host of the Your Dental Top 5 podcast. A member of the advisory board for RDH magazine and OSAP’s Infection Control In Practice Editorial Review Board, Amanda strives to make topics in dentistry accurate, accessible, and fun! She can be reached at amandahillrdh.com and [email protected].
