Did you really want to see that last pair of centrals in crisp detail? I mean, down to every last craze line and coffee stain?
If not, you’re probably one of those people that like shadows, you’ll want to go back down in your burrow and sleep through the next few months. Nothing uncomfortable or awkward for you, thank you. Please leave now – bye! – because the information below will only lead to spending money on things that you don’t care about.
Are they gone yet? Good. Now we can talk about this shadow business. Do you remember when you first started using loupes, how they made you sit up taller, take notice of things you never saw before, and how it is now that you cannot imagine working without them?
About a month ago I hooked a tiny little light onto my loupes in hopes that it would keep my back straighter. I didn’t really expect any more than that. At first it was nice, the light was whiter and just about the same intensity as the incandescent overhead light. Hmm. Then I realized that I had the power turned all the way down on the battery pack. What happened when I began dialing the light up was nothing short of a knee-trembling-Thank-You-Jesus epiphany moment. THE SHADOWS WERE GONE! I didn’t know that there were shadows in people’s mouths before. I didn’t realize that the shadows were extremely annoying in people’s mouths. I didn’t know that you could visualize the distal of tooth numbers 1 and 16 in full spectrum light and see down into that 4 mm pocket that never gets cleaned and scoop out that little yellow goo like a miner panning ankle-deep in a river of gold.
When you have a light attached to your glasses, it always spotlights your focus point exactly. It goes where you go (ouch! just don’t look your patient in the eye through your loupes). It helps you save time because you’re not always reaching up and adjusting the handle of the overhead light. And patients like it when they don’t feel like they’re in an interrogation session. It’s so free and breezy above the chair without all that equipment hanging over their heads.
Now that I’m using a headlamp it really is like a whole new world opened up to my eyes. It’s like the first time I started using loupes all over again. It’s like. Well it’s like something I should have done forever ago. The only two things that were holding me back until now were comfort and cost. I didn’t want to pay over $600 for what is essentially a flashlight. And I didn’t want it to be inconvenient to wear.
After evaluating just about everything offered at the dental meeting booths, one choice has ultimately claimed its place as my new pet: the LumaDent. Don Ton, DDS is the CEO of LumaDent, Inc. and he packs a great story about how his company got started from a DIY project, so I couldn’t resist supporting his business. Okay, I could have resisted if his product was no good, but in my opinion it is the best dental headlight available, for many reasons:
The Price. It is extremely reasonable for a niche market like dentistry. If you find it’s hard to swallow, geez, build it yourself. You’ll still need a battery pack, which you can purchase a la carte from LumaDent.
The Package. Totally turnkey. You get a rechargeable battery pack, a charger, a hip holster, a mount made especially for your type of existing frame, an orange filter, and all sorts of things to help you control your wires. If you have problems along the way, Dr. Don will make it right until you are happy.
The Promise. You hope that it will be comfortable. At 5 grams and a lens no larger than the size of a dime, the LumaDent weighs almost nothing. The headlight is only noticeable because of the wires. If you’re patient and work with the wires to learn how to wear them, they will be no more difficult to put on and take off than a tie. And as I stated before, the quality of the light is exceptional.
If you’re getting the idea that I was somehow coerced into this endorsement with money or discounted product that’s not the case here. I simply love my loupe light, I love juxtapositioning Punxsutawney Phil with shadowless dentistry and I hope to inspire you to see the way you practice in a whole new….
…way. Ha. You thought I was going to say light.