Sameer Puri If you have not looked at a microscope lately, it might be worth a second look. One of the best pieces of equipment that I have had the opportunity to use is the Zeiss microscope. At my office in LA, we used it extensively. For not only CEREC cases but also for routine dentistry. The scope made dentistry easy to do.
Those of you that have met me, know that I am a bit on the taller side- 6'4" to be exact. What dentistry does to tall guys like me is take a serious toll on your back. The scope allows for proper posture as you navigate the nooks and crannies of a patients mouth. When I first started using the scope, obviously there was a learning curve. But for me, after a week or two, it felt like second nature to use the scope on virtually every case.
What I love about it the most is how it really makes you see things that you may not normally see. Cracks in teeth, canals when doing endo - so much more. What we did was hooked up a digital SLRl camera. At the time I used the Nikon D90. It can take still photos as well as video so if I wanted to video tape anything, a single camera could do both. What you will need is an adapter that will allow you to hook up the camera to the scope. Don't spend ridiculous dollars on dedicated video/photo equipment. Any off the shelf DSLR will work. All you need is the adapter. What a scope does is allow me to see clearly as you can see from the photos:
We are fortunate at the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry that in our cerecdoctors.com hands-on workshops that we have a number of scopes you can play with. The one you see me using is the Zeiss Pro-Ergo - basically the Ferrari of scopes. Zeiss has other versions, more basic. Next time you are at the Center for a CEREC class, ask to use the scope. Id love to give you a demo of how well it works and how easy it is to use, and you will notice what an incredible impact proper magnification can have on your dentistry.
