For some reason, this topic made me think of the circus (whose spotlights are going out) and flashlights. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working in dentistry for so long, but if there is something I want to see in my mouth, or in my dog’s mouth (it’s true), I pull out a mirror and a flashlight. And then I invariably accidentally shine the light right in my eyes. (I’m more careful with the dog, but it’s tricky because he doesn’t like to hold still for these sessions.)
There are a lot of dark hiding places in the mouth. The overhead light only works so well, and you have to be careful to avoid shining that in your patients’ eyes, too. It is important to have other ways to light up the treatment area during exams and treatment. You can’t really trust the naked eye to see all the details without extra, dedicated light. Even if you are using magnification, a headlight will chase away the shadows in which potentially bad things may lurk.
Orascoptic surgical and dental headlights are designed to shine true white light, which increases brightness, sharpness, a
nd field depth. Orascoptic lights are also compliant with the International Electrotechnical Commission’s blue testing standards.
If you click here, you’ll land on a list of Orascoptics lights, so you can compare the details of each one to your needs. These are meant to be used by dentists and hygienists alike. Here’s the run down:
Endeavour XL: 25% longer run-time than the standard Endeavour headlight with up to 24 hours of continuous battery life.
Endeavour: the lightest weight headlight, with a run-time up to 10 hours.
Spark: cordless; integrates with most loupes and eyewear frame models.
To learn more about the importance of the blue light testing process, visit Orascoptic’s Blue Light Compliance page. Light exposure limits are set to ensure that the general population, which is repeatedly exposed to light of all kinds, does not receive more from dental lights than considered safe without adverse health effects.