The "Hygiene Message in a Bottle Mailbag" is a new monthly feature of the e-newsletter, Pearls for Your Practice: The Product Navigator. Each month, Colleen Olson, RDH, the editorial director for the Hygiene Product Navigator,will answer reader-submitted questions to help you navigate your dental hygiene product decisions (and more!). This month, she replies to a question about whether a headlight is worth the cost.
QUESTION: Christine A. from New York wrote: I wear loupes, but I am wondering if a headlight is really worth the cost?
ANSWER:
Great question! Loupes are certainly a great tool for hygienists—it would take me some time to get used to working without mine. In my opinion, adding a headlight to your loupes is worth every penny. My headlight illuminates my field of vision exponentially better than a standard overhead dental chair lamp, and it reduces the strain on my eyes.
I know the cost can be intimidating, but you have wide range of options at a variety of price points. The first headlight I had in school was one of the more expensive brands. But when I was about two years into private practice, the battery pack died a sudden death. When I looked into purchasing a new battery pack, I found the cost to be outrageous, so I began looking at other headlight brands. Researching other options opened my eyes: I realized I could get an entirely new headlight system for about the same price as a simple battery pack for my original headlight.
I dove in and bought a LumaDent headlight system and have been extremely pleased with my purchase. The system costs less than $500, and it's lightweight and very reliable. The headlight has a great battery life and features parts that are easy to replace, should a problem occur. LumaDent is prompt with delivery and has good customer service. Their website is easy to navigate and making a purchase is easy. You can put the product package you need in your online shopping cart and check out without even having to contact the company or a representative to get a price quote or place an order.
I believe my LumaDent headlight helps me be more thorough and efficient at my job and is worth the reasonable investment!
MORE HYGIENE MAILBAGS
A different kind of saliva ejector
Products for dry mouth relief
Editor's Note: Do you have a question for Colleen? Is there a product you'd like to see her review? Or would you like to submit your own hygiene product "Pearl"? Send an email to [email protected]. You might just see it in the Hygiene Product Navigator! If you're not a Product Navigator subscriber, click here to sign up.
Colleen M. Olson, RDH, is an editorial director for the e-newsletter, Pearls for Your Practice: The Product Navigator. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University in 2008 and worked in sales for five years. She graduated from the Blinn College Dental Hygiene program in 2013. She is currently a full-time hygienist in private practice in San Antonio, Texas. Colleen enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, Zach, and their dogs, a Great Dane named Shiner and a shepherd mix named Duddley.
