Modern Hygienist - October 2008 - (Page 38)

career | HANDS-ON HYGIENE Have you seen the light? Flip the switch on enhanced ergonomics. by Renèe Marchant-Turner, RDH Last month’s column discussed magnification. This month we’ll shed some light—literally—on the way you see things. Just as magnification enhances what you see, additional light improves that magnified view. The more light you have, the more you see—it’s pretty simple. Coupling light with magnification will enhance your observations. Buying the right equipment to achieve that goal requires one to understand the options available along with the advantages and disadvantages of each. There is never one “best” product; all require you to scrutinize which features best suit your needs. This article will discuss some of the key features in today’s dental light systems. SEEING IS BELIEVING How about never having shadows that obscure your vision? What if you could have a bright light in every area of the mouth and never have to use the overhead light? The reduced shoulder strain from never having to reach for the overhead light is just one ergonomic advantage of using a light source attached to your loupes. You can have this and more if you begin to intentionally use quality lighting. Magnification helps to reduce ergonomic concerns by making the patient’s mouth seem up close and big without having to lean forward. Adding a quality headlight mounted on to your loupes will eliminate the need to crane your neck to see the opposite side of the mouth or the distal of No. 16, ever! Lighting systems can be mounted onto your loupes or onto a headband. They all require a power source that sits on a counter or fits in your pocket. There are three types of illuminators: halogen, metal halide and LED. None are perfect, but all can help. Halogen.refers to the bulb used in this type of fiber optic lighting system. These bulbs also are used in slide projectors. The bulb is housed in a box that sits free-standing on top of the counter or is attached by an under-counter or wall-mounted bracket and is plugged into an electrical socket. Mounted light boxes reduce the chance of the box being pulled off the counter and falling to the floor. Halogen bulbs produce heat, which is cooled with a fan housed in the light box. These bulbs should stay on for the entire workday but be dimmed between patients. Before turning the unit off, the bulb should be completely dimmed and cooled to extend bulb life. Halogen bulbs produce a yellow light lasting approximately 40 hours when used at maximum light intensity, depending on care given. Cost is about $25. Keeping spare bulbs on hand is imperative. Good to know… Cables and head lamps vary in their weight from 0.3 ounces to more than 1 ounce. This weight will add to the overall loupe system. If clipped onto clothing properly, this weight will not be noticeable. Fiber optic cables, used in metal halide and halogen systems, are made of bundles of glass ﬁbers. These glass ﬁbers should be handled with care so they don’t break down over time. Be careful not to kink or step on these cables. LED systems use a very light weight electric wire for connection to the battery pack, which can kink causing a short at the point where the cord plugs into the battery. Using the clip to attach the battery to a belt or pocket rather than having it sit loosely in a pocket prevents this kinking problem. Light spot or beam size varies depending on brand and type of lighting system. Compare the crisp bright edges of some brands versus diffuse poorly lit edges of others. Some beams will be too small and not light the entire mouth. Other beams may diffuse into the patient’s eyes while the mouth is brightly lit. A perfect light spot will be an even, bright light over the entire area lit with no diffusion on the edges. LED lights tend to have more diffusion than metal halide or halogen systems. 38 modernhygienist.com | October 2008 PHOTO: KERR ORASCOPTIC http://www.modernhygienist.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Hygienist - October 2008

Modern Hygienist - October 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Letters News Modern Solutions Trends: Homecare Trends: Perio Trends: Ergo Trends: Mid Care After Chemo Professional Rewind Esthetic Expertise: Make or Break Relationship Hands-on Hygiene: Have You Seen the Light? Going the Distance Training for Life Presi-dental Politics Ad Index Moonlighting

Modern Hygienist - October 2008

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