FAQs

Historically, larger loupes companies have small armies of representatives traveling the country taking what are quite simple measurements. One of the biggest ways we can keep our costs so competitive is through the remote measuring technology we have developed over in conjunction with opticians and digital engineers. This combined with over 20 years of experience in the industry puts us at the forefront of remote digital loupe measuring practises, enabling us to provide you with well fitting, well priced loupes.

All of our loupes come with a 30-day trial period to ensure they’re perfect. In the unlikely event any adjustments need to be made we will do this free of charge and cover all return postage. This allows you to buy your loupes in complete confidence one of the biggest purchases in your career is going to be secure. We won’t leave you until you have the perfect pair.

We’ve put together some instructions below to help you measure your own Inter-pupillary Distance (IPD) and working distance. If anything is unclear just let us know and we will be happy to talk you through the process.

How to measure Inter-pupillary Distance (IPD)

This measurement is only required for TTL loupes as flip ups loupes have a large amount of adjustability built in. As with the working distance this is an often over complicated measuring process that can easily be done from the comfort of your own home. The IPD is quite simply the distance between the centre of your two pupils whilst focusing on a set distance.

We have worked with digital engineers and optical equipment manufactures to develop a system of accurately measuring the IPD with very high tolerances from a specific photo of your face as defined below.

Stand against a white background and have a colleague hold a camera/phone at a distance away from your face as you calculated in your working distance. Hold a ruler level above your eyes and ask a colleague to take four photographs from this position.

Please then send these pictures along with your working distance measurements to us using any of the methods on our contacts page. Most clients find it easiest to take the photos on their phones and WhatsApp or message them to us on 07779442529.

How to measure Working Distance

The is quite simply the distance between your eye and the area you are working on. For a dentist this will be from your eyes whilst sitting in your chair to the area the patience mouth is usually positioned.

1. Ensure you are sat in the position you would normally work ideally in your working environment.
2. Pay special attention to sitting upright with a strong core and ensuring you are not hunched uncomfortably.
3. Having a colleague to observe this and take a photo for you to see can sometimes reaffirm to yourself your positioning is correct.

Please send these pictures and measurements to us using any of the methods on our contacts page. Most clients find it easiest to take the photos on their phones and WhatsApp or message them to us on 07779442529.

Not a problem, we have a specialised optical unit enabling us to build a prescription insert to fit your frame. All we will need is a most up to date prescription sent to us to get them built. There is also an option to have the prescription put into the lenses and optics of your loupes. If your interested in either of these options, please get in touch.

For general dental practice, x3 magnification is probably the best option as this provides a good amount of magnification without too large a decrease in either the focal depth or brightness. Certain applications, particularly endodontics, may benefit from a higher magnification particularly if this makes up most of your workload. For microsurgery, magnifications of x3 and above are recommended and depend on the type of surgery involved.

It should be noted that as the magnification increases the focal depth decreases. The higher end of magnification 3x and above it should also be noted that head movement and viewing field will be more sensitive as the magnification increases. The differences between the various types of magnification available can be seen in the images below.

Flip ups, lights, frames, cases and accessories are usually sent the next day or priority 24 if required. TTLs are bespoked, carefully built from individual measurements and undergo several rigorous tests. They therefore can take up to 6 weeks before delivery, but we can assure you it is well worth the wait!

Loupes, lights and all associated accessories will be tax deductible as they are used in the “performance of the duties of employment.”

We have sold our loupes all over the world and depending on the country you are buying them you may even be entitled to a reduction in VAT. Our warranty is valid not only wherever you buy the from but if you move to a new country the warranty will move with you.

Larger, traditional loupes companies employ representatives that will travel the world. Big advertising budgets, impressive trade shows, offices and over heads all must be covered pushing the margins and ultimately the price you pay.

Measuring processes, talk of special optics may sound impressive but the formula behind fitting loupes has fundamentally changed minimally over the last several decades. We keep it simple, honest and personable so that you not only get the loupes you love but the loupes that keep you working comfortably and within budget.

This is a personal preference as there are benefits to both types of loupes. TTL loupes are usually lighter and less bulky but also can not be moved moved out of the line of sight and are comparatively very expensive. The main benefit of TTL loupes is due to their closer positioning to the eye, which gives a greater field of view. However, this also means that when reaching for instruments your peripheral vision is much reduced. Flip up loupes do not require a customized fitting session which means they are lower in cost than TTL types, additionally they can be lent to a friend to use and the angle of declination can also be altered for various operative procedures. These differences and more are explained further in our UKloupes video below.

This measurement is very simple to take and ideally should be recorded when in a dental clinic as dental chairs often have thick headrests that make the patient closer than represented by ‘phantom head’ labs. Many other companies will take readings away from the operative setting which often results in the purchase of loupes of an incorrect specification for the user. For all UKloupes sales, we recommend that you measure your working distance in a clinical setting so that your pair of loupes is exactly matched to your working requirements.

How to measure your working distance- When sitting at a comfortable working height with your back straight, head slightly dipped and a patient/friend in the dental chair you should measure the distance between your eye and the patients mouth. Most people are suited to our middle working distance of 420mm, but those of shorter or taller than average height may consider using 340mm or 460mm, respectively. You can watch our video guide on measuring your own working distance below.

Yes, if you wear corrective contact lenses then our sports frames can be worn. If you wear glasses then you will need your prescription made into our prescription frames. UKloupes can offer this service. If you alternate between wearing glasses and contact lenses you may want both types of frame so you can swap the loupes between the two frame types.