Dental and surgical professionals often go through this dilemma of choosing between TTL (Through-The-Lens) and Flip-Up Loupes when purchasing dental loupes or surgical loupes.
The only way to resolve this dilemma and make your decision is based on your personal preference and prioritizing your specific needs. And we get it that it is definitely not the easiest decision to make.
What are TTL Loupes?
Through-The-Lens (TTL) loupes are also often referred to as ‘front-mounted loupes’ because the optical barrels are mounted into the lens of the frame and also because they are custom manufactured to your specific
Pupillary Distance (PD) measurement. TTL loupes are more popular than flip-ups; they gained popularity since 2010 on the market.
These loupes are fixed at the most elevated angle of declination, which allows the user to obtain the most ergonomic posture achievable. Even many dental schools have now adopted them as the new standard of practice.
Advantages of TTL Loupes:
Lighter in weight: TTL loupes are lighter in weight than their flip-up equivalent since the flip-up hinge’s added weight is gone. Moreover, the optical barrels do not thrust out as far, so the users will not have to rebalance the load using their neck muscles.
This is one of the reasons why TTL loupes are considered way more comfortable to wear for longer hours than any other type of loupe.
Wider field-of-view: These loupes provide a full field of view through the magnified optical barrels. The optical barrels are placed in such a way that reaches closer to the user’s eyes.
This makes TTL loupes offer a more extensive focus area, which they would not find with the same magnification in Flip-up loupes.
They are fully customized to the user. TTL loupes are custom-made to fit each individual entirely. This makes it an ideal choice when it comes to a needed comfort for wearing dental loupes. These types of loupes provide the best possible ergonomic position for users without the need for any adjustments.
Prescriptions can be placed for both distance vision and near vision. The custom-made TTL loupes can accept users’ reading prescriptions in the optical barrels, which allows them to see in perfect focus when working in. Avoid any visual distortion while doing your job; get the quality prescribed dental loupes at Schultz at affordable prices.
Disadvantages of TTL Loupes:
Personalized for one user: TTL loupes are custom made specifically for a single person to an extent where users will not be able to share their loupes with other colleagues. Vision updates.
If a user would require a change in the eyeglass prescription of their dental loupes or surgical loupes, considering the customization, they will have to send their loupes back to the manufacturer for the update to be made.
High Cost: Since TTL loupes are custom made, they would go through the whole customization process, which increases their overall cost. They are costlier than flip-up loupes.
Optical barrels are fixed in place. The optical barrels of TTL loupes are stagnant and placed in one place, which does not allow the user to flip them up when talking to a patient or when charting.
They will need to be taken off, unlike flip-up loupes, which come with the hinge mechanisms allowing them to be quickly flipped-up and out-of-sight.
What are Flip-Up Loupes?
Flip-up loupes are traditional double-hinged pairs of loupes. They have optical magnification barrels mounted on a hinge mechanism above the nose’s bridge on a pair of glasses.
They can be easily flipped-up and out-of-sight as required using the hinge mechanism. What makes these loupes popular is their ability to offer both an adjustable angle of declination and an adjustable pupillary distance.
Advantages of Flip-Up Loupes:
Prescriptions can be changed easily. Since there is no prescription placed in the optical magnification barrels, it is cheaper and easier to change the user’s prescription.
Gives a greater angle of declination: The hinge mechanism in the flip-up loupes allows users to adjust the declination angle as per their needs. It will enable more upright and ergonomic posture when practicing because the declination angle can be significantly increased.
Flip-up loupes are a better option for users with a history of neck or back injury or who are currently practicing while in pain.
It can be flipped-up and out-of-sight: The most significant advantage of flip-up loupes in everyday practice is the flexibility it provides. Users can quickly flip the optical barrels up and out of the way whenever they need it.
Additionally, practitioners and professionals can also flip up the barrels while charting or doing tasks that do not require magnification. This is what makes flip-up loupes a more convenient choice.
Lower in cost: Flip-up loupes do not have to be custom made, which decreases the cost that goes into the process of customization; hence they are lower in cost.
Disadvantages of Flip-Up Loupes:
Adjustable Angle-of-declination: Although the adjustable angle of declination is an advantage to the flip-up loupes, it can also turn into a disadvantage because the barrels have the ability to be bumped out of position.
This makes flip-up loupes occasionally inconvenient as the users would need to re-adjust the barrels’ position while working.
Heavier than TTL Loupes: Flip-up loupes are observably heavier than TTL loupes because of the hinge on the loupes. Also, the optical barrels protrude out further, which causes an uneven weight balance. This tends to cause one to compensate their neck muscle more when practicing.
The narrower field of view: The barrels on flip-up loupes are on the other side of the frame’s carrier lens and not drilled through the lens, so they are further away from the user’s eyes than they are in TTL loupes.
In Summary
The key to choosing the best type of loupes for your practice is to consider which advantages are vital to you. With the help of this information, you will be able to pick the best types of dental loupes. For more information about the loupes, get in touch with us today.