Dental headlamp

Tobes

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hey guys - im a new member, not that well versed in lighting terms. im a dental student looking to build a headlamp to use while working. the state of the art right now is 2200 footcandles, but it doesnt say at what distance. i will probably be working at a distance of approximately 3 feet with a viewing angle of about 4 square inches and i purchased a light that said it was 1000 footcandles. could anyone help me with what kind of footcandle rating that would be at 3 feet?

thanks so much.
 

greenLED

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Welcome to CPF, Tobes. Be aware that DIY LED sources may not be color calibrated and this could be problematic for proper diagnosis (bro's a dentist, that's why I know).

Other than that, check out the Custom and Modified sections for loads of info.
 

Tobes

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thanks a lot. great alias, by the way. props to oa. . .
 

ddslight

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I just built one out of a Fenix P1. It will cure composites if held close to them but not at 18 inch working distance. I took the head of it and casted a new body out of silver. Ran an external battery pack to a couple of AA's and it works great. I still need to clean up the mount though, it is still just a little half assed. Total I think I have about 70 bucks into it. Much cheaper than an Orascoptic or DFV. I get about 3 hours on the 2 AA's. I think with a new Cree light you should be able to get around 6 or 7 hours, that would be sweet. I will get some pics after I get out of Endo today and post them.
 

TedTheLed

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my dentist built led's into that rubber thing they shove down your throat (I mean place in your oral cavity - watchamacallit?) -- so it lights up your mouth from inside..!
 

TMorita

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I don't know about where you live, but where I live (California) the dentists are required to disinfect their entire dental examination room after each visit, and they're required to autoclave their instruments, I believe.

That's why dental equipment is so expensive...it needs to be autoclavable.

Toshi
 

TedTheLed

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maybe it is autoclavable with heat -- if the leds are embedded -- or else maybe he uses a chemical-clave -- I just called him but he
's out of town till Monday..
 

TedTheLed

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found it! ahh -- I see, it uses an LED light source now -- but the light in the mouth is conducted by optics;

http://www.dentalcompare.com/review.asp?rid=18
review_isolite_newi2.gif
 
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ddslight

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TedTheLed said:
found it! ahh -- I see, it uses an LED light source now -- but the light in the mouth is conducted by optics;

http://www.dentalcompare.com/review.asp?rid=18
review_isolite_newi2.gif


The Isolites are way cool. They don't only provide gobs of light but are hooked up to suction and suck out the gobs of stuff. They also provide for a nice dry work field so placing composites and root canals are much easier to isolate. I don't think that headlamps would need to be sterilized as they are attached to the dentist's loupes which most aren't even submersible and I have never even seen a dentist stick 800-1500 dollar glasses in the autoclave.
Also, there is no reason that they can't be disinfected the same as the chair or overhead light. I think the only reason why dental companies charge $1000 is because they can and dentists pay it. The light really does make a huge difference and is well worth the time and energy into making one.
 

SilverFox

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Hello Tobes,

Welcome to CPF.

To answer your original question, 2200 foot candles comes from measuring at 1 foot. At 3 feet, it will drop off to around 245 foot candles.

Tom
 

half-watt

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perhaps i'm wrong, and someone please correct me if you feel that i am, i wouldn't want any dentist or medical practitioner examining me w/a bright LED light source.

now, inside my mouth is one thing, and that sounds like an excellent idea - light everything inside my buccal cavity.

however, illuminating me w/such bright light fr/the outside i would NOT appreciate much.

am i to keep my eyes closed the entire time? do i get to wear one of those blind folds that some people who work 3rd shift and sleep during the day often wear while sleeping? that would satisfy me, perhaps?

i've read that the energy fr/even a single white 5mm LED light at close range is sufficient to cause permanent retinal scarring if exposed for a sufficient period of time. what that period of time is, i don't have the slightest idea. does anyone else know if this is true? i'd like to see more authoritative sources for (or against) what i've read.

having been influenced by my reading, i've mentioned this "fact" [pseudo-factoid perhaps???] to my Vet and gave her a couple of much dimmer 3V incandescent lights for examing my dogs (and others' animals) eyes. why she doesn't use a standard medical light source, like my wife uses, i don't know.

now, admittedly, an eye exam, however brief, is a quite different than examining the inside of one's mouth.

however, anyone who have had their eyes flashed, however, briefly, at close range by a newer 5mm white LED knows firsthand the affect it temporarily has on one's vision.

it is thought that general exposure to UV wavelength light fr/the sun is one cause of cataracts later on in life. so, regarding any UV wavelength that is produced by the LED, will it also have any effect on cataract development later on in life?

personally, in our litigious society, unless there is ample scientific evidence from a carefully controlled study or two, with no dissenting studies, i naively wouldn't recommend that a dentist use an LED light except one that is placed inside the mouth. best check w/one's attorney on this point.

my two shekels.
 

Offroad'Bent

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Peter Munz made a very nice little LED loupe light, which I think he plans to sell. He's on Candlepower- search the DIY forum.

I made up one with Fred Pilon's help, an SSC P4 with a 700ma driver that runs on a pocket-pack of 8 AA Eneloops with a waterproof switch from Batteryspace. It's smaller and lighter than almost anything out there, except for Peter's light.

I'm very happy with it. I'll see if I can post an image on my website.

Prior to that, I used a Princeton Tec Apex which I modded with a P4. It's waterproof, so it could survive disinfection.

As for light in the patients' eyes, it is standard of care to place eye protection on all patients. I use pretty dark safety sunglasses instead of clear glasses.
 
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Offroad'Bent

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Peter Munz made a very nice little LED loupe light, which I think he plans to sell. He's on Candlepower- search the DIY forum.

I made up one with Fred Pilon's help, an SSC P4 with a 700ma driver that runs on a pocket-pack of 8 AA Eneloops with a waterproof switch from Batteryspace. It's smaller and lighter than almost anything out there, except for Peter's light.

I'm very happy with it. I'll see if I can post an image on my website.

Here's a photo:
Loupe%20light%2008b.jpg
 

5kids

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My dentist uses this one from sheervision.
http://www.sheervision.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=2

Infinity%20Surgical%20Dental%20Headlight%204920B.jpg


Super%20Battery%20MedRes%2012-12-2007B%20310W.jpg

He wears it with a battery pack and of course I asked him about it. He said he really likes it, however his only complaint was the color rendition when doing cosmetic shade matching. I mentioned to him about the new warm white LED's and I kind of lost him when I mentioned color temperature.
 

offroadcmpr

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I just went to the dentist yesterday for a cavity. The light that he used had a lens on it that was like a magnifying glass so that it put out a perfect circle so that you don't get any sidespill into your eyes. I know that PT made a light like that. It looked like it was just a 5mm or so, it was not very bright, but when you are only a foot away from the patients mouth you do not need a very bright light. The newer LEDs would be better than the 5mm just because of the color temp.

I think that a lower driven cree or something with the "magnifying lens" on it would be the best. Not too bright, no sidespill to annoy patients, and long battery life. But my dentist's light also can change color when he was doing something in my mouth. Not sure why, but he just flipped a switch and it happened. It turned a amper type color. Maybe it was like a fiber optic system where the bulb or LED is on his waist with the optic going up and coming out of the end where his head is. Of course I could be completely wrong.

Good luck and hopefully there are some real dentist that can put their advice in.
 

Tekstyle

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I just went to the dentist yesterday for a cavity. The light that he used had a lens on it that was like a magnifying glass so that it put out a perfect circle so that you don't get any sidespill into your eyes. I know that PT made a light like that. It looked like it was just a 5mm or so, it was not very bright, but when you are only a foot away from the patients mouth you do not need a very bright light. The newer LEDs would be better than the 5mm just because of the color temp.

I think that a lower driven cree or something with the "magnifying lens" on it would be the best. Not too bright, no sidespill to annoy patients, and long battery life. But my dentist's light also can change color when he was doing something in my mouth. Not sure why, but he just flipped a switch and it happened. It turned a amper type color. Maybe it was like a fiber optic system where the bulb or LED is on his waist with the optic going up and coming out of the end where his head is. Of course I could be completely wrong.

Good luck and hopefully there are some real dentist that can put their advice in.


the amber color is to prevent the composite from curing, while still allowing him to see what's going on. I also need to build a loupe light because getting it through my school is going to run about 700-800 dollars :thumbsdow
 

boonsht

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the amber color is to prevent the composite from curing, while still allowing him to see what's going on. I also need to build a loupe light because getting it through my school is going to run about 700-800 dollars :thumbsdow

Can try something like what I did. You need to be a little handy to make this. (thanks Mike Scoles for the input!). I spent around $150 for this set up which includes the charger. Add $50 more if you think you'll mess up :)

Uses a luxeon K2 star, 75 lumens with 700 ma buckpuck driver. I believe this is the right amount of light as too much would wash out the details of the mouth/teeth/etc. YMMV of course.

mframelight1jn0.jpg




mframelight2nn1.jpg




This is about 12 inches from the wall. The tint is vanilla white (warm) which imho is better than the bluish whitish tints other Dental lights are. The beam covers the patient's mouth with little side spill. You can always have the pt wear protective sunglasses. The practice I work in provides it.

mframelight3uh4.jpg
 

Tekstyle

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Can try something like what I did. You need to be a little handy to make this. (thanks Mike Scoles for the input!). I spent around $150 for this set up which includes the charger. Add $50 more if you think you'll mess up :)

Uses a luxeon K2 star, 75 lumens with 700 ma buckpuck driver. I believe this is the right amount of light as too much would wash out the details of the mouth/teeth/etc. YMMV of course.

mframelight1jn0.jpg




mframelight2nn1.jpg




This is about 12 inches from the wall. The tint is vanilla white (warm) which imho is better than the bluish whitish tints other Dental lights are. The beam covers the patient's mouth with little side spill. You can always have the pt wear protective sunglasses. The practice I work in provides it.

mframelight3uh4.jpg

Thanks boonsht! Can you share your knowledge on which housing and acrylic ball/reflector you used for your setup?
 
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