Forums › Other Lasers › Misc. Laser Forum › laser warning signage & eyewear
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joesimmonsddsSpectatorI’m a newbie looking for practical help with some laser safety issues.
I am pulling together a lecture on lasers in dentistry to dental hygiene students and while dealing with laser safety made the mistake of reading, well, trying to read, the OSHA and ANSI laser safety regs. I was shocked by all the regs, apparently relating to much more powerful lasers in research, industry, etc, that, if adhered to 100% would make laser use in dentistry unrealistic. It brought up several questions which I hope some of you on the forum will be able to answer.
What type of signage are you posting in your office for Waterlase and LaserSmile units? Are you tightly restricting access to treatment rooms? Specifically for Waterlase, are you consistently wearing protective eyewear? (Physics lecture at Dana Point indicated that with great affinity/absorption for water at 2790nm and defocused diffusion of energy, distances greater than 5cm from tip were safe and that any reflected radiation would be absorbed by eye’s tear film.)
My staff and patients are always in protective eyewear but I am having trouble finding something useful with loupes. I have the clip-ins that, when placed inside the surgitel frames, make the whole thing weigh about 2 pounds! Very uncomfortable after any length of time.
I’d be interested in what types of practical applications any of you are are making regarding signage and practitioner’s protective eyewear.
Thanks,
d2thdrSpectatorIs anyone making magnification lenses with the safety glass built in?
Seems to be the next logical step. Other than a scope. Would wearing them all the time create a problem?
joesimmonsddsSpectatord2thdr,
I finally gave up entirely on the Surgitels and those idiotic and weighty Er clip-ins and went with Orascoptic TTL loupes with custom inserts for soft sleeves over the loupes. Got the plastic Er frequency blanks from one of the manufacturers that shall remain nameless and had a local optometrist’s office cut the blanks to fit. For about โ I have enough cut inserts for originals and two replacements–much less than what they want (ca. 跌) for the leaden clip-ins.
Yes, there has to be several better ways of providing adequate and safe eye protection when using lasers, especially the Er freqs that are readily absorbed in water.
Happy Holidays!
Joe
d2thdrSpectatorThanks, Joe. I forgot to remove my clip ins after using the laser, and struggle to put them in and take them out. Apparently I have a very large frame.
To go along with my fat head!
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