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Why Do Surgical Loupes Fog & What Can I Do About It?

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Why Do Surgical Loupes Fog & What Can I Do About It?

OH NO! My loupes have fogged-up AGAIN and I can’t see!!!

How many times have we all said this in the last 10 months? Fogging with surgical loupes has always an issue, but now - with face masks, face shields, extra PPP and varying room temperatures, it has become a serious problem.

Most dentists and hygienists, when they purchased their loupes in the past, didn’t pay a lot of attention to the construction of the lenses in both their glasses and the glass in their optical barrels. They just “assumed” there was some kind of fogging protection. Now, unfortunately, in this very challenging environment of COVID-19, they are finding out the hard way, that not all lenses are created equally.

At SheerVision, from the very beginning of our company in 1999, anti-fog coating was a critical component for all our lenses. And now, many, many of our clients are very appreciative of these early and ongoing efforts. Fogging is just not an issue for them, in that their SheerVision lenses are permanently coated with state-of-the-art anti-fogging materials that guarantee clear lenses, regardless of the environment.

But what really is fogging? Well, for one thing, it is the number one cause of professionals removing their glasses during procedures, creating an unsafe environment for themselves and those around them. Many people think fogging is just a result of cool air versus warm air causing condensation. In fact, a working definition of fogging is “when eyewear is cooled below the dew point, and then encounters warm moist air.” Fogging is also a result of the changes in your own body temperature. And no one has to tell you how much more heat you are expending, underneath all the additional PPP you are required to now wear. All this adds to fogging up your glasses and optics and putting you in a hazardous position when performing your procedures.

So, what can you do? A simple test to see how much your glasses and optics fog up, is to wear them on and then exhale on them.  Try wearing a face mask and face shield and do the same thing. You will know immediately if your glasses and optics really do have that extra anti-fog coating and how effective it is.

If you find your glasses and loupe-optics fog up quickly, you should invest in a good anti-fog spray. Just keep in mind that you will need to reapply it often, per the manufacture’s recommendations. And, constant applications can damage other coatings on your lenses (such as non-scratch). Anti-fogging sprays are made from chemicals and can, over time, degrade your lenses.  Note that these anti-fog sprays do not disinfect them.

The only permanent solution to the anti-fog problem is to have anti-fog coatings bonded to your loupe’s optical lenses (on both sides) during the manufacturing process of your surgical loupes, and in the lenses of your frame as well. This process allows the anti-fog properties to last long enough for temperature variances to equalize. All SheerVision lenses are manufactured with permanent anti-fog coatings, assuring our client’s will always have crystal clear lenses to look through during all their procedures, regardless of the outside environment.

Be sure to always ask about anti-fog coatings when purchasing loupes. Do not accept just a yes or no answer. Ask how the anti-fog coatings are applied (before or after manufacturing) and if there is a written guarantee to their effectiveness. Nothing can be more frustrating than having your glasses fog up, while you are completely covered in PPP and for obvious safety reasons cannot easily remove your loupes to clean them or apply anti-fog sprays.

SheerVision knows how critical permanent, effective anti-fog coatings are and has been a leader in providing this protection for over 20 years.

Whether you are a dentist, hygienist, surgeon, veterinarian, or other practitioner – please know that all of our loupes and loupe frames have anti-fog protection. 

To shop SheerVision loupes with enhanced anti-fog protection please click here:
https://www.sheervision.com/collections/loupes