When dentists and dental specialists speak with us about investing in a dental microscope for their practice, the conversation invariably turns to cost. After all, you want your purchase to be the best value for your money. And, it’s important that you’re getting all of the details regarding included features, warranty, and accessories in order to make an apples-to-apples comparison of the different brands and models available. 

Dentistry has seen many innovations over the years, from the introduction of film radiography to today’s 3D digital imaging technologies. In the last couple of decades, magnification has grown in popularity among dental and specialty practices, allowing clinicians improved visualization compared to the naked eye.

As a dental professional, you are probably somewhat familiar with dental microscopes – after all, this technology has been around for several decades. In fact, the American Association of Endodontists was an early advocate for microscopy in dentistry back in 1998, when we were starting to build our first generation microscopes.

More periodontists are realizing the visual enhancement and ergonomic benefits of using a dental operating microscope for Periodontal Microsurgery. Use of a microscope and microsurgical instrumentation (including instruments typically used for ophthalmic surgery) allows for surgical accuracy that is unparalleled to what is possible with conventional techniques.

Since the early 1990s, training in microscopes has become an important component of endodontic education, and their use is now universally taught at the graduate level in all CODA-approved endodontic specialty programs.

You may be wondering… “Do dentists use microscopes?”

The dental operating microscope has become an essential tool for providing the highest quality of endodontic treatment. General dentistry practices are increasingly adopting surgical microscopes as well for their improvement in clinical precision, vision, illumination, and ergonomics as compared to loupes. Research studies have demonstrated better clinical outcomes when using a dental microscope compared to treatment without vision enhancement or magnification.

Want to learn about the use of microscopes in dentistry? You’re in the right place! The new Global Surgical Learning Center is a great resource  for you to stay up-to-date on trends in dental microscopy through articles, videos, interviews and other great content.Our goal is to help our readers navigate the evolving field of dental microscopy, as well as help you get the most out of your microscope investment.