Dentist Reviews: Ergonomic Loupes - Are they truly a GAME CHANGER?

[@billkinzler3773]

Thanks for your review. I just ordered a pair of the 5.0 loupes LumiDent Ergoprisms and your review is very helpful. I’ve been practicing for 38 years and my hygienist got these about two weeks ago and it was strange seeing her and it was strange to see her in such an upright position but she said how much less her neck and shoulders hurt. I had to try them. As an evaluator for Gordon Christensen, these had high ratings, but there is a learning curve. It certainly worth a try.

[@chris.strandburg]

Thanks for your feedback doctor! I'm glad the review was helpful. Over 2 years, since this review I still only use these loupes and can't imagine going back. The learning curve is difficult for about 4 weeks, but the loss of pain in your neck will come even sooner! I hope you enjoy them.

[@Sky-rm8uh]

Great overall review. I just received mine and have noted the same steep learning curve with some of the disorientation, but I am certainly a fan of these loupes thus far. Thank you again for pointing out the pros and cons. It would definitely be great for the working distance to lock into place. I actually marked and “X” and “O” with permanent marker on mine at opposite ends of each so that way I can easily keep track of how many turns I needed to focus at my working distance for both the right and left side respectively. That way, in case the loupe is out of position and twisted at all, I would more easily be able to tell if things shifted away from my preferred normal positioning.

[@chris.strandburg]

Awesome thank you! I hope they have gotten easier to use now.

[@garrettphipps4206]

I just received my pair and you are right on the mark with your review. The learning curve is steep and at first I wasn't sure I could make the transition. I got some tips from the reps and that helped. The side shields are terrible but my DFV ones fit nicely. The magnication is a bit less than expected but field of view is bigger. It's nice you can adjust the working distance but it should have some kind of locking device.

[@chris.strandburg]

Great thank you for the feedback!

[@ambermarie8885]

I can't find thorough reviews and I just recently placed an order. Waiting for the fit kit to arrive. Thanks for making this and for the quality! I especially appreciated the real video footage through the loupe lens. Super helpful.

[@abym1086]

Great review and appreciate the details but surprisingly you didn’t mention the PRICE :)

[@peternguyen1911]

Doctors of Dental Surgery that learned how to do micro surgery on teeth can definitely get over the learning curve of ergonomic loupes. The added years to your career as well as your neck and shoulder health are worth the week or two it takes to get used to it. I'd recommend folding laundry and doing dishes at home with the loupes on to speed up the comfort level and the learning curve

[@chris.strandburg]

Awesome suggestion!

[@keithlevesque5941]

I just spent a couple days with these loupes. I was going to send them back because I just couldn't get oriented with them. After watching this video I may give it a couple more days to try. The learning curve is very steep though.

[@chris.strandburg]

Thank you for the feedback! Yes, it was really hard at first and very disorienting. Now I've been using them for 6 months and it's like I have a brand new neck. Totally worth the initial stress and difficulty of learning new muscle memory. I do think doing several prophies on family members is very helpful. Or a needed filling on a staff member where you can take it slow. Good luck!

[@traywaters1575]

Thank you for making this detailed and descriptive video!!

[@chris.strandburg]

You're welcome!

[@jenniferpichardo8925]

I have a lot of problems adapting to them. Wearing them for about 5 months and I can't see anything. The only reason I'm using them is because they included my prescription on it. I will be calling the rep soon.

[@FernandoSaucedoBScDDS]

I tried them and I think the technology is " NOT THERE " yet.

[@loz1610]

What magnification do you recommend for doing regular scaling cleaning for an ergo loupes. I am using traditional loupes with 3.5x , my field of view is about 3-4 tooth.

[@willwyatt7023]

Great review, Chris

[@TJ-iq2xk]

I got these and I hate them. I've had to send them back 3 times already (taking months) and they're still not right. It's blurry around the edges (which seems to be a limitation of the design), the lenses don't line up, and it's LESS clear than my significantly lower magnification traditional loupes. Not only that, but I actually had MUCH MORE neck pain using them before they adjusted to bring the working length closer. I gave them 3-4 weeks of use before making a judgement each time just in case it was due to a learning curve (I adapt very quickly but thought it would be best to give it plenty of time to see). I adapted fine, the image just never improved. If you are very particular about getting your margins to the micrometer, these may not be for you. Bottom line, buyer beware.

[@chris.strandburg]

Thank you for your input. It sounds like you had a tough time getting proper alignment with the lenses and I'm sure it was very frustrating having to send them back multiple times. I was fortunate that this did not happen to me. I hope you're able to get your issue resolved

[@katc2526]

I love my ErgoPrism loupes!! Definitely a game changer!!

[@chris.strandburg]

I agree! I hope we can get the word out!

[@katc2526]

@@chris.strandburg absolutely!! I rave about them all the time. I wish these were around 13 yrs ago when I started my career!!

[@chris.strandburg]

@@katc2526 Me too! I’d feel decades younger 😂

[@katc2526]

@@chris.strandburg or at least our necks would 😹

[@viennailagan]

Thanks for the review Doc! I sent it to my dental friends 🦷 so they can check it out too. Have you tried any other brands of deflection loops? I heard Design for Vision, Pentax, and Hero loops have their versions.

[@chris.strandburg]

Thank you! I have not tried the other brands you mention, but based on their respective specifications, execution and price, I believe the Ergoprisms are the best. I'm sure these loupes will improve as competition heats up, and I'm excited to watch their evolution!

[@viennailagan]

@@chris.strandburg I'm super excited as well! My loops are now out of date, and definitely time for a new one.

[@alinrusu678]

@@chris.strandburg You may have heard of Admetec (in Canada), or Andau (the same parent company from Israel that sells them under this name in America). If not, you should check them out! They're essentially the same design but go up to 7.5X magnification. I'm very curious about a comparison of the build quality of each of these companies. I'm having a meeting tomorrow with Admetec in our clinic but unfortunately Lumadent got rid of all their Canadian sales representatives so I won't be able to set that up to compare...

[@alinrusu678]

​@@chris.strandburg So I met with the rep and the Andau pair is pretty solid. The 7.5X magnification (more like 6X on a straight TTL) is really nice! I ordered a pair and will see how good they are are honing it in for me :). At 26 inches working distance, I only get about 5cm of depth of field so will see what that looks like practising every day, but the field of view is about 80% of the mouth - good enough for me.

[@PhuocHaiDentist]

@@alinrusu678 waiting your review :D

[@t0psh0tta]

Hi, I have not used loupes before and I am considering getting my first pair (7 years into practice). Did you have any headaches when you started using them? How did you find them working on upper arch? How did the focusing distance adjustment work? Did you have to refocus every time you moved from upper/lower arches? Thank you for your video.

[@chris.strandburg]

Hi those are great questions. I did not have any headaches, in fact my neck and head felt much better. I did feel very disoriented in the beginning with where to look, and you certainly will too. All I can say is that it gets better, and soon you don’t even think about where to look, because it’s automatic. My focus area is great for upper and lower arch with no adjustment. You can adjust each lens for focus if you want to adjust your working distance, but I almost never have to do that. For the most part the focus stays put in the right place. It is very easy to look at the upper arch when using a mirror. I hope that helps!

[@kimberkiefer6886]

great video!!! simple and informative and helpful Dental hygienist for 21 years now..and have been wearing Loupes/light for 7 years of my career...should have been doing it sooner...all dental should wear loupes and use light....it is a game changer...and now I could not work without them......just had rep come talk about these....I need loupe upgrade ...going to give these a try ...and if I don't not like cant adjust ..I will exchange for their traditional loupes....but I think have that neck alignment could end up being game changer...that is where I notice my most discomfort from 21 years of dentistry ...my neck.

[@chris.strandburg]

Great! Just make sure you give it time. You will feel like it will never get easier the first couple of times you try them. But I promise it will. It took me about a month to “forget” I was wearing something different. I would NEVER go back to traditional loupes now.

[@kimberkiefer6886]

@@chris.strandburg yeah it took me a few weeks to get used to traditional loupes...and then it just clicks...I cannot decide between the 3.3 and 4.3 as a hygienist ...any suggestions..I am currently using 2.5 in traditional

[@chris.strandburg]

@@kimberkiefer6886 Since the working distance is longer and you are farther away, the teeth will appear smaller. I recommend going stronger on the mag

[@xocheenahox]

@@kimberkiefer6886 hi what loupes were you first using? I am looking to buy the ultra light optics loupes with the wireless battery light combo, have you heard of them? what do you recommend, thank you! I am in my second year of dental hygiene school =)

[@kimberkiefer6886]

@@xocheenahox I went with a cheap brand to start ..because I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about them and they were good for me for 7 years ..used them and ant work without ...it was time to upgrade! I didn't go wireless with my new light I wanted the longest use battery without charging and I am used to the cord.

[@arahartounian2124]

Thank you Dr. Strandburg for a very resourceful video. I am a D1 student in my second semester, wanted to know if you Would recommend the lumadent loupes for someone that is just starting their dental career. I had just purchased regular loupes from Q topics with a 4.5x magnification, I still see myself bending my neck down. Also now designs for vision just released their infinity VUE loupes, which might have some similar characteristics to the lumadent ergo prisms in regards to the declination angle but the downside is that the highest magnification goes up to 3.5x. Thank you for your time.

[@chris.strandburg]

Hello! Sorry for the late reply. I think the sooner you can learn with these, the better. If you still have your other pair, don't worry. I practiced for 13 years (including school) without them. I have bought several pairs of loupes in my career. It's also nice to have a back up pair just in case. I would recommend the ergoprisms for longevity of your spine. There are competitors out there that I have not reviewed. If you can go to a dental conference and compare them, that might be your best bet. However, 8 months in, I still love my ergoprism loupes.

[@arahartounian2124]

@@chris.strandburg no worries Dr. Strandburg, thank you for replying anyways. I went ahead and got them and I’ve been using them for the past two months. I love using them, incredible in regards to ergonomics. Also love the fact that your can change your working distance. Didn’t take a lot of time for me to get used to, it could also be that I’m still new to the game. Regardless I love them. Now my classmates been asking about them. Thank you again for your time.

[@chris.strandburg]

@@arahartounian2124 That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

[@FTWmoemoe]

@@arahartounian2124 Hey ara! I’m also a D1 student interested in buying these loupes. Just wondering what magnification you got for your ergoprisms?

[@arahartounian2124]

@@FTWmoemoe I got 5.0x magnification which equates to 4.3x I believe since it’s prismatic. I am very content with it. Whatever magnification you decide to go with it’s a little less. You can find their perspective measurements on their website.

[@kendra.]

Hey doctor! What do you do when you need to treat a patient who can’t lay all the way back, like a pregnant patient? I have the ergo loupes (student) and I’m wondering what one would do in this situation

[@calebrice6063]

I was also thinking about this. I’d love to see a reply from someone!

[@KH-to7pr]

From what I’ve been told, you simply cannot use these if you can’t lay the patient fully back. I hope someone comments telling us that there is a way.

[@YorgosEU]

I got refractives from another company. x4. Within minutes I got used to them. Don't worry about learning curves. They r easy. I can't comment on higher magnifications though.

[@cotealvarado]

What company did you get?

[@YorgosEU]

@@cotealvarado Hi MJ. Got the bryant dental loupes. 3.8 refractive. They r really nice though expensive

[@patguzman]

@@YorgosEU hey! I’m considering buying the bd for hygiene. Do you think it’s worth it? How is it going? What is the ballpark price point? THANK you! 😄

[@YorgosEU]

@@patguzman Hi! I'm quite happy with them but if I was to buy again I'd consider the "admetec-loupes" which are fairly priced. I paid a looot for BD. Also I wouldn't buy the small battery light. U need to charge it all the time and jams on your clothes sometimes.

[@patguzman]

@@YorgosEU thank you! Price is not an issue, I have just never used a light like the Ignis before, I’ve of course used cordless since hygiene school then switched to dfv wireless and it’s probably starting to get to the end of its charge lifetime.

What's the price?

[@4homemail]

Admetec 5.0 with light is about $3600. I know it is not the same but similar technology. My temp hygienist has it and she said it is better than LumaDent. She tried them both. I also went to Lumadent website, the price is way better. For the same technology, I think Lumadent is what I am going to use. Of course support is important to me.

[@sanaarasheed433]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Do you think they will suit a dentist with history of neck surgery (ACDF)?

[@chris.strandburg]

I can’t guarantee it will be, but since this allows you to visualize the mouth with minimal extension of your neck it’s probably the best type of loupe for post neck surgery.

[@arjundhannyify]

So the 6x air by lumident be like 5x ? Any idea about the field of view?

[@sunlukchrischeung3498]

thanks for your sharing. just a long shot, do you know how to order it from hong kong

[@usifa2031]

They recently launched ergo air which has less weight and lower fov would u recommend that more or should i just stay with the normal ergoprisms ?

[@chris.strandburg]

I haven't tried the new ones, but it looks like ergo air may be the way to go!

[@cosmicseeker1069]

Doctor is it compatible for glasses person?

[@KH-to7pr]

Most all loupes companies allow you to get your eye rx integrated into the glasses!

[@bertinamartinez8740]

Price please

[@sm3shg]

I'm sure they are good but you miss one very important thing, the peripheral vision.

[@renedelgadofarrer7831]

Its almost like using a microscope

[@josephmorales3017]

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