Throughout my time in dentistry, I have relied on the power of visual communication. I purchased an intraoral cameral system in the very early 90s when the price was $15,000. The reason for that was simple. My undergraduate degree in psychology had taught me that well over 80% of what humans perceive about their environment comes from the eyes. Patients understand their conditions better when they can see them and informed patients make better decisions regarding their overall health. All these years later, we are still using intraoral cameras in my office every day.
Then, let’s turn this issue around. Patients make better decisions when they see better, so do doctors make better decisions when they see better? Of course they do.
I started with magnification in around 1995 and I have continued to improve my clinical vision ever since. I remember an instructor once telling me, “Flucke, in order to do well, one must SEE well.” This particular person wasn’t wearing magnification, but back then no one did. However, that advice rings even *more* true when one considers how superior magnification can affect your dentistry.
Of course, magnification goes hand in hand with lighting. As you increase your level of magnification, the amount of light that enters the telescope decreases. That is simple physics. That translated into “as you increase magnification, you also must increase light” or you will lose clarity and detail. That is one of the reasons that I am a huge fan of having a bright LED attached to my scopes. (By the way, I realize that everyone calls them “loupes”, but I prefer to call them “surgical telescopes”. I think that term is simply more accurate.) Having a bright light attached to your scopes provides amazing visualization. The operatories that I have designated as my preferred workspaces in my office do not even have track lights. The amount of illumination I get from my scope mounted LED is good, that I find track lights of no use. If you are still using track lights, pay attention to how often you move/adjust them during each appointment. When you start paying attention to that and realize how frequently you are stopping to move the light, you will be surprised. Having a light that is bright and is always available everywhere you look quickly becomes a necessity.
Which brings us to the reason for this discussion. I have recently been doing a Test Drive of the new DragonFly system from Orascoptic. I’ve always been a fan of Orascoptic as a company. Their products are always well made, they hold up to the rigors of daily use (and occasional abuse), and they provide phenomenal visualization of the field. That visualization is especially amazing when it is combined with one of their Endeavour XL lights. I love the Endeavour XL, but the drawback for me is the battery. The system requires a fairly hefty battery that is connected with a wire.
A few years ago the company came out with a radical new design that really turned the magnification space on its proverbial ear. The new design, called XV-1, was a huge leap forward in the world of dental magnification. It combined a sporty frame with your choice of magnification, but the really radical aspect was that it had a built-in light. The design was such that the batteries were in ‘pods’ that were at the end of the arms of the frame. This meant no battery pack on your waist or pocket and no wire that dangled and got caught on things. The XV-1 was the first “all in one” design of telescopes and light. I put an order in immediately.
Now we are seeing the next step forward in this concept with DragonFly. The system is extremely well thought out. The smart people at Orascoptic took some time to really analyze their previous system and then approved upon it significantly; even going so far as to consider different categories of end user and planning for them accordingly. Allow me to explain.
DragonFly is still a single unit magnification and built-in light device. However, it is built in different sizes and different models. There is the DragonFly Pro, which is designed for dentists and surgeons. It is completely customizable, meaning it can be ordered with any of the magnification setups that Orascoptic offers. This means things like the variable level EyeZoom telescope or the interchangeable lens Omni can equip the unit. It also comes with extra batteries, multiple light intensity settings, and has an extremely durable ceramic paint finish. There are four frame colors available of Amethyst, Charcoal, Neptune, and Olive. These colors make use of a ceramic polymer coating that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also resistant to corrosion from disinfectants.
Then there is the DragonFly RDH. This model is designed for hygienists and features the RDH line of scopes which were designed specifically for the dental hygiene profession. There are three colors available, Champagne, Lilac, and Midnight.
The third model is the DragonFly Neo. This model is intended for users on a budget as well as students. It supports the 4 most popular magnification levels that are preferred by first time purchasers (2.5x micro, 2.5x macro, 3.0x, and 3.5x). I am really impressed by this model. Magnification is no longer a ‘nice to have’ in our profession. It truly is a ‘must have’ but for people on a budget, oftentimes purchasing clinical telescopes can be a serious drain on the budget. By offering this model, Orascoptic is providing a great product at a great price point.
All three models are available in Small, Medium, and Large which is a big improvement over the XV-1 concept of “one size fits all”. Every model also comes with Orascoptic’s TruColor LED headlights. This makes shade matching while working with the light much easier. The company is also offering square or round lens shapes. This allows the user to customize the shape of the scope to the user’s facial feature. It’s a nice little benefit to have and Orascoptic is currently the *only* company offering this.
I have been using a pre-production model for my Test Drive and I have been impressed. One of the great things about being an established customer is that the company has all of my measurements stored in my customer file. In normal circumstances a sales representative would come by the office, take measurements, and then have the system custom built for the user, for my Test Drive they took the measurements in my record and created a “Pro” setup based on those numbers. They were “spot on” right out of the case!
The unit I’ve been testing is the Pro model, charcoal finish, and the adjustable (3.0x, 4.0x, 5.0x) EyeZoom telescopes. These scopes allow me to change levels simply by twisting the scope until it clicks into the correct setting. I have always been a fan of very bright lighting which is why I have often chosen to put up with the hassle of an external battery pack. The DragonFly Pro setup I have used has the TruColor LED with a high output of 78 lumens and a low output of 49 lumens. I have found the 78 lumen setting to be adequate for almost all of my procedures. The DragonFly is extremely comfortable to wear. The battery pods being at the end of the arms means that the weight on your nose is lessened due to the counterbalance of the batteries. The batteries last for over a single workday and are recharged at night.
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