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Visual acuity of dentists in their respective clinical conditions

Perrin, Philippe ; Ramseyer, Simon ; Eichenberger, Martina ; Lussi, Adrian

In: Clinical Oral Investigations, 2014, vol. 18, no. 9, p. 2055-2058

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    Title
    • Visual acuity of dentists in their respective clinical conditions
    Author
    • Perrin, Philippe. Department of Preventive, Restorative and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
    • Ramseyer, Simon. Department of Preventive, Restorative and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
    • Eichenberger, Martina. Department of Preventive, Restorative and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
    • Lussi, Adrian. Department of Preventive, Restorative and Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Clinical Oral Investigations, 2014, vol. 18, no. 9, p. 2055-2058. Springer Berlin Heidelberg
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:326255
    Summary
    Objectives: This study examined the impact of age and magnification on the near visual acuity of dentists in their private practice under simulated clinical conditions. Materials and methods: Miniaturized visual tests were fixed in posterior teeth of a dental phantom head and brought to 31 dentists in their respective private practice. The visual acuity of these dentists (n = 19, ≥40years; n = 12, <40years) was measured in a clinical setting under the following conditions: (a) natural visual acuity, distance of 300mm; (b) natural visual acuity, free choice of the distance; and (c) loupe and additional light source, if available. Results: The visual acuity under the different clinical conditions varied widely between individuals. The older group of dentists had a lower median visual acuity value under all clinical conditions. This difference was highly significant for natural visual acuity at a free choice of distance (p < 0.0001). For younger dentists (<40years), visual acuity could be significantly improved by reducing the eye-object distance (p = 0.001) or by using loupes (p = 0.008). For older dentists (≥40years), visual acuity could be significantly improved by using loupes (p = 0.0005). Conclusions: Visual performance decreased with increasing age under the specific clinical conditions of each dentist's private practice. Magnification aids can compensate for visual deficiencies. Clinical relevance: The question of whether findings obtained under standardized conditions are valuable for the habitual setting of each dentist's private practice seems clinically relevant.