Written By: Benita Altier LVT, VTS Dentistry
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Technician programs have historically left significant gaps in learning to perform dentistry on animals. Some concepts should be addressed. One of those is the importance of using well-made lighting and magnification loupes. The idea of ergonomics and dentistry is not new; it is just emerging as a concern in veterinary medicine and deserves our attention.
According to an article published online in 2023 from the American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org), veterinary student debt has been on the decline over the last two years; however, it is still averaged at $147,258.1 For veterinary technicians, according to a North American Veterinary Technician Association (NAVTA) survey published in January 2023 the average student loan debt on graduation is $29,700.2 That is a lot of money to owe after graduation. Spending more on your ability to practice quality medicine or protect your health and well-being may seem too much.
However, consider this: when becoming a doctor or technician, you had to spend money to make that happen; textbooks, tuition, and more were necessary to help you get to where you are today. Reinvesting in the proper equipment to work comfortably, avoid vision, neck, and back strain, and effectively see what you are doing could help ensure a long and productive career without workplace-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD). Your ability to work in the field doing dental procedures could be drastically reduced due to WRMD.
Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) were determined to plague 93% of 212 respondents in a 2021 survey. More than 85% of those who responded said they are more than somewhat concerned about these painful symptoms leading to a shortened career as a veterinary surgeon.3
Proper lighting and magnification for veterinary dentistry help in so many ways. First, it creates a more neutral head and neck posture. You must sit up straight and look down gently through the lens. Fixed interpupillary distance magnification lenses are called through-the-lens (TTL) optics and are ideal for one user. The proper angle of declination and magnification makes it impossible to see what you are doing if you are tilting your head forward more than a 20% angle.4
The LED (light emitting diode) light source will be directed to your operatory field. Focal and direct lighting helps to avoid the shadow created by your head getting in the way of an overhead light source. You will also be able to visualize details you cannot see without magnification and proper lighting, thus improving the quality of care for oral surgery and dental hygiene procedures.
Some dental procedures are almost impossible to do without magnification and proper lighting, such as working with feline tooth extractions, and some other procedures could benefit from better visualization, such as eyelid, gastrointestinal, anal sac, and urinary tract surgeries.5
For technicians and veterinarians alike, it is challenging to perform a proper oral examination, and chart findings as the dental surfaces, probing depths on the dental probe, and dental defects of all kinds may be difficult to visualize with the naked eye. It is also known that visual acuity tends to decline with age, so it becomes even more critical to have loupes and lights as we get older.4
Here are some things to consider when investing in lighting and magnification.
• Reputation and support from the manufacturer. We all need customer support occasionally and want a product manufacturer to be there for us.
• A simplified and effective fitting process.
• Customization is essential, especially for pupillary distance and angle of declination to the working field distance.
• Customization options to ensure the loupes and light fit your physical frame and needs.
• Lighting that is ideal and safe for veterinary dentistry applications.
• Battery sources that meet your needs for duration of use, charging capabilities, and ease of application.
• Frames that are both lightweight, durable, and stylish.
• The best magnification for your needs and the size of your working field.
• The option to add prescription lenses to the frames if desired.
When you first begin to wear the magnification and lighting system, you may not adapt to it as quickly as you thought; the time to become comfortable with using the loupes and lights, according to some human dental hygiene literature, is 2-3 weeks of use.4
You have potentially become used to tipping your head, neck, and back forward and tilting your head sideways to “see” the intraoral cavity while performing dentistry. Retaining your brain to only look through the optics (TTL) when looking at your working field will take some time. You must also look through the non-magnified, regular lenses when reaching for instruments or looking up from your working area. The time it takes to adjust to the new system is worth it because you will, over the long term, reap all of the benefits of avoiding MSS and WRMD and increasing your visual acuity, which may have the potential even to decrease procedure times and increase efficiency.
Benita Altier is a Licensed Veterinary Technician with a Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS) in Dentistry. She teaches courses across the country through her company Pawsitive Dental Education. Learn more about her courses and education materials at https://pawsitivedental.com/
References
1. “Chart of the Month: Good News on Student Debt.” American Veterinary Medical Association, 25 May 2023, www.avma.org/blog/chart-month-good-news-student-debt.
2. Friesen, Malia. “Navta Survey Reveals Veterinary Technician Pay and Education Have Increased, but Burnout, Debt Are Still Issues.” NAVTA, 14 Feb. 2023.
3. Kim SY, Yu D, Simons MC, Breur GJ. Prevalence of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Veterinary Surgeons-A Cross-Sectional Survey. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol. 2023 May;36(3):169-174. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1761245. Epub 2023 Feb 16. PMID: 36796428.
4. Arnett, Michelle C., and Iwonka Eagle. “Impact of Loupes and Lights on Visual Acuity and Ergonomics – Dimensions of Dental Hygiene: Magazine.” Dimensions of Dental Hygiene | Magazine, 26 Aug. 2021, dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/article/impact-of-loupes-and-lights-on-visual-acuity-and-ergonomics/.
5. Lewis, John. “See the Light to Maximize Your Visibility.” Veterinary Practice News, 26 May 2022, www.veterinarypracticenews.com/see-the-light-to-maximize-your-visibility/.