2002 – VOLUME 31 – Issue 2

All optical aids, whatever their magnification (from 2x to 40x), are useful in odontology. How they are applied depends on the user, the clinical treatment and the system chosen. This description of telescopic magnifiers and operating microscopes is intended to help odontologists appreciate the scope of these new tools and weigh the various criteria before choosing an appropriate instrument for their surgery. There are numerous applications in clinical odontology, both specialized and non-specialized, where improved vision is a great advantage. This introduction presents the vast possibilities offered by optical aids. The requirements imposed by these tools may be considerable, but in terms of precision and quality they herald a major step forward for dentistry.