As far as dental mirrors go, I thought that they were all the same. Until they weren’t. When the Greater New York Dental Convention came around this past fall, I heard about a unique innovation from Hu-Friedy called the HD Black Line Mirror. It was being touted as a standout mirror that reduced glare as well as possessed a superior visual acuity. I knew that I had to give this product a try and see if it could make a difference in my clinical world.
Now, I can’t speak for everyone, but I have long thought that dental mirrors have needed improvement. The mouth is a very dark place and I cannot tell you how many times I have struggled to see exactly what it is that I am doing. I move the overhead light, I move my mirror, I move my patient’s head, and all too often, I move my body into contorted positions. This is far from my ideal work experience, but I do whatever I can to provide my patients with the best possible care.
And then entered the Hu-Friedy HD Black Line Mirror. I noticed an immediate difference. The light reflected from the mirror shot across my room like a bright beacon. I found the lack of glare a blessing for my overworked eyes. The handle and mirror frame have a unique dark diamond-like carbon coating that helped me stay focused on the exact area where I am working. The view of my patient’s teeth looked so crisp and well defined. I could see every hint of stain and anatomical curve with amazing clarity. At last, I could focus 100% on what I was supposed to be doing with my instruments, instead of straining to get the proper view.
My close dental colleague from Florida, Jessica Raymond-Albritten, BASDH, CRDH, has had a similarly positive experience while using this new mirror. She always uses loupes that have a headlamp and still finds at times that her view isn’t as clear as she would like it to be. This is often due to the limitations of the mirror she is looking through. While working with the HD Black Line Mirror, Jessica instantly noticed that the image was a lot clearer than what she was used to. As a result, she doesn’t have to use weird positioning to get a better view in a patient’s mouth, and her neck is thanking her for it.
As dental hygienists, we are required to access all areas of every tooth when we treat a patient. Any tool that can help us accomplish this task is an invaluable asset. I found that the Hu-Friedy HD Black Line Mirror gives me the visual clarity that I had been searching for, and now the mouth is a much friendlier place!
AMBER METRO-SANCHEZ, BA, RDH, practices dental hygiene with Chris Bible, DDS, at Comfort Dental in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She works as a professional educator on behalf of Water Pik Inc. and is a contributing author for the Colgate Oral Health Advisor web page. Reach her at [email protected].
