Cool dentists' headlight

[TigerhawkT3]

You know that weird little headlight dentists use that flips up when not in use? Well, I couldn't resist asking about it after my dentist appointment earlier today (ouch, BTW). It turns out that the head unit is basically just an optical system. There's a big unit (maybe 5" square and a foot deep) sitting on the counter that produces the light and has a jack for a cord. The head unit plugs into that, but it's not with an electrical cord, it's fiber-optic. The light just goes from the countertop unit through the cable and out the headlight's optics. Pretty cool, and probably very expensive.

 

[Oddjob]

I work with them in the OR. You see them on TV shows like Grey's Anatomy. One time I took my EDC and shined it through the part you plug into the machine. The light that came out was obviously not as bright as the actual machine but it was decent enough in lower light.

 

[DM51]

I'm pretty sure my dentist has one with a battery in it, so it doesn't have to be plugged in. He looks like a Borg when he has it on, as it has 2 magnifying lenses attached to his eyeglasses with the light in the middle.

I have to go in for root canal work in 2 weeks time - AARGNLAAARGRL!! - so if I get the chance to look at it through the fog of pain while I am being assimilated, I will report back.

 

[DM51]

Dental update: Igh engh oo eh enkishk ish awing... Sorry, take wadding out of mouth and start again.

I went to the dentist this morning. Maaaan! Actually it wasn't as bad as I expected. With plenty of lignacaine, you don't feel too much.

I was wrong about his spectacles-mounted light - it is externally powered. It has a thin fiber-optic cable running over his shoulder to the light head, which is tiny. It is a neat device, but when I asked him about it he said it is not the very latest state-of-the-art kit.

Apparently there is one with an integrated video camera, so the tooth is lit and filmed at the same time. This is useful for teaching purposes, or if the patient wants to see what is going on inside his mouth, which personally I don't. The downside is obvious - the thing costs $$$$$$$$$$....

 

[koeovo1on]

I am actually trying to make something similar to this for school. Believe it or not, i'm a dental student and these small headlamps are very useful. If yall can help me in some R&D, that would be great. I would usually spend alot of time reading up for a project, but due to my course load, i don't have much time to do so. If y'all can give me some tips and advice, that would be greatly appreciated.

Link to post

kev

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

SPAM or just good natured sharing?

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Dennyissmith, your first post was deleted. Looks too much like spam, or shilling. Usually first posts from new members are suspect when there is a link included to a sales web site. This may or may not be the case with you, and you can still post on CPF, and explain that post, if you want, without a link. Your user name does seem to relate to dentistry.

Bill

 

[MikeAusC]

If you search for "dental" you'll see quite a few projects where people have built dental lights that have the LED on the glasses - emulating modern dental lights.

 

[Richub]

Before I lost all my teeth 4 years ago to a series of bad root & jaw infections, I went to a dentist who had the same spectacles mounted light that Bullzeyebill described.

I never got a good look at it though, because I always put off my glasses during those treatments, and with a prescription of +9 and +11 for reading (+7 and +9 normal prescription), there wasn't much to see for me then...
I remember asking her about it, but an emergency call broke up that conversation.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

I'm pretty sure my dentist has one with a battery in it, so it doesn't have to be plugged in. He looks like a Borg when he has it on, as it has 2 magnifying lenses attached to his eyeglasses with the light in the middle.

So is this DM51 or the collective that's been posting...?

 

[DM51]

So is this DM51 or the collective that's been posting...?

That was posted before I was assimilated.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

—before "We"....;-)...