Easy Ergonomics: Maximum Declination Angle TTL Loupes
ErgoPractice News – June 2015 – Article 1
SurgiTel’s New Production Techniques Revolutionize TTL Ergonomics
SurgiTel has now developed Maximum Declination Angle TTL loupes which can provide declination angles up to 55 degrees.
Too many clinicians needlessly work with pain in their neck and upper back. This is often caused by using non-ergonomic loupes with shallow declination angles. The best ergonomic posture is where the clinician can hold their head in an upright, neutral position. When we work with an improper declination angle, we have to bend our necks down to see through to our target.1
Major ergonomic educators2,3 have found when clinicians tilt their head forward greater than 20 degrees their bodies stress and strain to support this imbalanced posture. This stress and strain eventually lead to pain and injury. Working pain reduces the quality of life, distracts the clinician from their work, and can cause injuries that make it impossible to continue working.4,5
To view your target through loupes with a safe and comfortable head tilt (no greater than 20 degrees) steep loupe declination angles are required. With this new design, SurgiTel can now provide maximum ergonomics in the light-weight and easy to use TTL style. (see sidebar: Sample DAs)
Do you or someone you know suffer from neck and/or upper back pain? Could this be due to non-ergonomic loupes? To test, you may photograph your posture from the side and mark out your head tilt as described in our April 2014 white paper.1 Or you may call your local SurgiTel representative and they can measure your posture.
If you are suffering from neck and/or upper back pain, please consider upgrading your loupes to ergonomic models.
If you are working with loupes with inadequate declination, if your neck tilt is greater than 20 degrees forward, please contact your local SurgiTel representative. They can help bring your work posture back into a healthy balance.
References:
- Chang, BJ, Key Factors for Ordering Customer Loupes, Part 1: Declination Angle as the Key Ergonomic Factor, ErgoPractice News, April 2014. https://surgitel.com/key-factors-for-ordering-custom-loupes-part-1-declination-angle-as-the-key-ergonomic-factor/
- Rucker, Lance, Assessing and Utilizing Surgical Telescopes for the Ergonomic Practice of Dentistry – An Interview with Dr. Lance Rucker, ErgoPractice News, July 2014. https://surgitel.com/testimonial-dr-lance-rucker/
- Bethany Valachi, How SurgiTel Helps My Clients Prevent Pain and Extend Their Careers, ErgoPractice News, August 2013. https://surgitel.com/testimonial-dr-bethany-valachi/
- Amjad Ansari, SurgiTel’s Ergonomic Loupes Freed me from Neck Pain, ErgoPractice News, February 2015. https://surgitel.com/testimonial-amjad-ansari-bds/
- Darryl L Hatchett, SurgiTel Delivered the Magnification I Wanted Without the Pain, ErgoPractice News, June 2014. https://surgitel.com/testimonial-darryl-l-hatchett-dds/
