Nice sharp image

I have been wearing loupes for approximately 15 years or so. It wasn’t mandatory to wear them going through university, and I chose not to wear them for several years after graduating.

I transitioned into wearing my initial loupes (2.5x magnification with a focal length of 340mm) full time over a couple of years, as my eyesight was still pretty reliable. The loupe apparatus was mounted to the frame on a hinge set up. I used them when doing more extensive work but might flip them up for routine examinations. Likewise once I eventually bought a headlight to go with these loupes, I was attaching it prior to more delicate procedures like root canal therapy or surgical extractions.

These loupes served me well over the years, but I did have some inevitable hardware issues such as broken frames, nosepiece extension breakages as well as cracks in the plastic lenses.

The decision to upgrade was mainly based on wanting stronger magnification, and secondly a sturdier and more simplistic set up. It also allowed me to choose a longer focal length of 420mm, so as to be more upright when working.

Switching to 3.3x magnification was immediately noticeable. The loupe set up itself was uneventful having the local ExamVision rep measuring me up on site at our practice. Once the product arrived there were no issues at all – just a nice sharp image with no overlap. The local rep did engage the services of a known optometrist to tweak the framework so that the loupes sat comfortably on my nose and over my ears. When I’ve required a new rubber nose piece the EV rep has been easy to contact and very quick to deliver.

ExamVision allowed me to choose from several different versions of their titanium frame. Having the loupes directly attached to the glass lens made for a lot less hardware and bulk. The headlight attachment is lightweight, and very simple and strong. The battery pack for the headlight is smaller and lighter than my previous one - to the extent that since having the ExamVision loupes, I leave the headlight attached the entire time and leave the battery pack hanging comfortably on my side.

The on/off button on the side of the battery is well positioned and allows hands free use for increasing intensity and switching the light on and off. Handy for controlling the light without having to take off my gloves. The battery life is also good, only having to charge it once a week on average.

Overall I’ve been very happy with my EV loupes and headlight. Now that my eyes need assistance in everyday life, I never look in a patient’s mouth without wearing them.

Timothy James Allen (Tim)
Bachelor of Dental Surgery, University of Adelaide ( 1996)

Co-owner Seaside Dental – Grange, South Australia

www.seasidedental.com.au