Dr. Zahi Rainer discusses his experience with Galilean, Prismatic, and Ergonomic Admetec loupes at different magnification powers
Dr. Zahi Rainer discusses his experience with Galilean, Prismatic, and Ergonomic Admetec loupes at different magnification powers
Over a span of five years, Dr. Zahi Rainer amassed an impressive collection of Admetec loupes: Galilean 2.7x, Prismatic 4.0x, Ergonomic 7.5x loupes, and most recently the largest magnification available, Ergonomic 10x loupes. The question is: why?
We decided to sit down and ask him to explain what benefit he gained from each pair and what drove him to move on to new loupes.
Loupes are a personal tool, and every practitioner has different needs and preferences. At the same time, few clinicians experience a wide variety of loupes. Dr. Rainer’s insight can be beneficial to those wondering which category of loupes and what magnification power would be best for them.
Dr. Rainer explains: A dentist used to be considered good if he had good hands. Today a dentist is considered good if he has good eyes. When you see more, you can do more.
My goal is to do precise, beautiful dental work and to constantly evolve and hone my skills. I love all my loupes. They are excellent quality and each was exactly what I needed for that time in my practice. Before you get a new set of loupes you have no idea what it is you weren’t seeing before. Suddenly a new world opens up, full of details you didn’t know existed. That inspires me to be even more precise and exacting in the work I do.
For me, it was a journey. Adapting to new loupes can be challenging but for me, it was easy, probably because I increased magnification gradually. Jumping directly to a high magnification would probably be much more challenging.
I started off with 2.7 Galilean loupes and worked with them (and a headlight of course, for about a year). Now my hygienist and my surgical assistant work with them. When we perform surgery, we all use loupes because it is important that we all maximize what we see, to know better what is going on.
After I became experienced with loupes it seemed right to move to a higher magnification. I chose 4.0x Prismatic loupes because the image they give is sharper and more accurate. A beginner dentist could also start with these loupes. Today I use these just for surgeries because the image is sharp, and the field of vision is wide.
Then Admetec released Ergo – a real game-changer in dentistry! Ergonomic loupes work using a different technology and solve a critical issue all dentists eventually experience – pain from long hours of bending over patients. In these loupes, the oculars have a 45-degree angle which enables you to sit straight and see what is beneath you, without bending over.
I bought 7.5x magnification Ergo loupes and ever since I began working with them, I forgot what it’s like to have neck and shoulder pain! One thing I did learn to do is explain to my patients how my Ergo loupes work because, for those who are unfamiliar with them, it looks like I am staring at the wall rather than paying attention to them! They like hearing that I have this special tool that helps me do good dentistry and protect my physio-muscular structure from long-term damage.
Also, with the 7.5x Ergo I can see work I previously did in much finer detail. This makes me want to do even better work. That’s why I was very excited when Admetec released Ergo 10x. I ordered a pair right away.
Ergo 10x is the highest magnification in the industry and it’s amazing how much more I can see. With the 10x magnification the field of vision is smaller so it’s necessary to use stronger lighting. I can see approximately 3 teeth with the 10x while I see around 5 with the 7.5x. The increased magnification is excellent for grinding and everything that is related to aesthetic work, veneers, and crowns. It’s so easy to see all the details, doing ultra-fine work has become child’s play.
For me, I needed almost no adaptation time to get used to Ergo and the increased magnification but, as I said before, I think it’s because I did so gradually. For new loupe users who want to protect their neck, I would recommend starting off with the lowest Ergo magnification, 3x Ergo. For those used to other loupe categories, Prismatic and especially Galilean, it might take some time to get used to Ergonomic loupes but it’s definitely worth making an effort – protect your health, prevent pain and do your best work!
Dr. Zachi Rainer
is the owner and head doctor at Rainer’s Clinic in Kiryat Motzkin, Israel.
The Rainer dental clinic was founded in 1994 and specializes in dental aesthetics, surgery, implants, teeth whitening, children, root canals, teeth straightening, and oral rehabilitation.
The Rainer team consists of 13 doctors and dentistry professionals.
