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hey everyone, looking to buying my first pair of loupes for dental school. anyone have any good recommendations ? tips and tricks on what to look out for when loupes shopping would be great too! thanks in advance ! 

Hey, I happened to be in the same boat a year ago so I thought I could help answer this.

Firstly, you should decide if you would like the traditional loupes or the ergonomic loupes. Ergonomic loupes are the new trend and offer a more neutral spine position allowing you to work for longer without pain. I bought these and went with Admetec, (brands like Bryant Dental and Orascopic are also available, although slightly more expensive for the same technology (classier look though). 

In terms of what to look for. It always comes down to, magnification, the field of view, comfort and durability. Higher magnifications have a smaller field of view, meaning you would see less of the dental arch. I would recommend starting at 3-3.5x to get easily adjusted. Keep in mind the ergonomic loupes, due to their refractory mechanism, a 5x is technically only 3.8x (these are the ones I got).

I hope this helps a little at least. Don't get sucked into a particular company right away, some salesman can be quite persuasive. 

Pages 58 & 59 of the 2023 ADA Dental Graduate Handbook contains comprehensive information on what to look for when purchasing loupes. 

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Attachment(s)

ADA_Handbook_DGH_2023.pdf   8.12 MB 1 version

Hello! 

Some general advice: 

• Book demo sessions with different loupes company to see which brand / type / magnification you prefer -> usually unis will have trade shows or sessions where different reps come in 
• Consider where the company's factory is - do all adjustments / repairs have to done overseas? That would mean you need to wait a long time to get the loupes fixed. Does the company offer you free temporary loupes while your own ones are getting fixed? Does the company have a rep who visits your state regularly? 
• Allow yourself time to get used to the loupes - I would recommend trying them out in the sim clinic first for a few weeks, and then start wearing them in clinic 

I have the x3.8 magnification ergonomic Bryant Dental loupes and find them very helpful :) 

Thanks all for your helpful responses