How To Choose The Right Dental Headlight

Posted by shouldbuykou3 on February 11th, 2020

No matter how skillful and knowledgeable you are as a dentist, if you do not have enough amount of illumination while performing any dental tasks, the possibility for you to fail to deliver the highest quality service and to provide the best possible treatment is a bit high. Not only that the right amount of light can help you see your working area more clearly and easily, it can likewise help you avoid getting eye strain and misdiagnosis. It likewise aids you in providing your patients with appropriate treatment options.

One of the most commonly used sources of light that dentists use today is the dental headlight. Aside from being more affordable as compared to the hefty overhead lighting, dental headlights are also more portable, space-saving, and energy efficient. They are likewise more comfortable and handy to use.

Dental Loupes With Headlight

Dental headlights vary in style, light intensity, battery system used, weight, and beam color. When buying a new headlight, it is best to consider these factors in order for you to get the piece that best fit your needs and preferences.
Weight

Since you will be using the LED headlight by either attaching it to your surgical loupes or by separately wrapping it around your head, you should consider the weight. Choose the one that is lighter most especially if you intend to use it for a couple of minutes or hours at a time. The weight may seem to be bearable when you wear it for a few seconds or minutes. However, the weight and pressure can build up when the headlight is worn for longer periods of time which can make you feel very uneasy and uncomfortable.

Although the light intensity or lux level is entirely a personal preference, many dentists choose a dental headlight with at least 45,000 lux. This intensity level is enough to increase your sharpness of vision.
Beam Color

Having enough amount of illumination is not enough. You also need to have the right lighting color or beam color. The best beam color for dental procedures is pure white or 6000k+ LED. The headlight with pure white LED produces an illumination that looks like the natural daylight color. This allows you to see the natural, accurate, and true color of the oral cavity and your entire work area without any color distortion. To know the color of the beam of the headlight you are buying, you have to focus the light on a plain wall.

Another factor that you need to consider when choosing a dental headlight for dental loupe is the battery system. Choose the one with long battery life but with short recharge time and the one that allows you to work all day long without any charging interruptions or without having to swap the batteries from time to time. It is also better to pick the headlight with Lithium-Polymer battery than the one with a Lithium-Ion battery. Having a headlight with a battery system that can last for hours will help you concentrate more on your work.