Finding the right pair of dental loupes (surgical loupes) can be a difficult task since there are so many factors to consider. Every person’s face is different and one pair of the medical loupes may work excellent for one person and terribly for another.
The first factor to consider is the working distance that you feel comfortable working at. For example, a person who is 5′ 6″ tall is going to have a shorter working distance than someone who is 6′6″ tall. You need to find the optimal distance away from the patient you prefer to work at. Here is an example of how someone in the dental field would choose their working distance.
After finding a suitable ergonomic position, you simply take a tape measure and measure the distance between your eyes and the patient.
The depth of field is the next factor to consider. The depth of field is another way of saying the safe viewing distance that the dental loupes will remain in focus, which means you will be able to move closer and further away from the patient without your surgical loupes losing focus.
Dental Loupe Magnification is the next factor that must be considered. There is a wide variety when it comes to magnification level of your medical loupes, with levels ranging from 2.5x magnification all the way up to 6.0x magnification for most standard surgical loupes (dental loupes). When starting out with your first pair of loupes it is typically suggested to start with a low magnification such as a 2.5x or 3.0x since adjusting to loupes is easier if the magnification is lower.
The dental loupes field of view is another factor that should be considered when buying a pair of dental loupes. With lower magnification comes a larger field of view and makes it easier to adjust to wearing loupes. With higher magnification the filed of view is reduced and is suggested for only those who have worn medical loupes in past and are confident with a smaller field of view.