Effects of Galilean Loupes on Dental Students' Posture and Cavity Preparation Quality

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the effect of different magnification levels of the Galilean system loupes on dental students' working posture and the quality of cavity preparations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental study was conducted, with the response variables being compliance with ergonomic posture requirements (measured using the Compliance Assessment of Dental Ergonomic Posture-CADEP) and quality of cavity preparation (assessed using the Class One Cavity Preparation Assessment-COCA). The independent variable was the magnification level of the Galilean system loupe, tested at four levels: naked eyes, 2.5×, 3.0×, and 3.5×. Second-year undergraduate dental students (N = 40) participated and were divided into Groups I and II. Each student performed cavity preparation at each magnification level, resulting in four preparations per student. Group I started with the naked eye, whereas Group II began with loupes at different magnifications. After 1 week, the conditions were reversed. Working postures were captured in photographs and analysed using CADEP, whereas the quality of the cavity preparations was assessed using COCA. After verifying normality and sphericity, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc test (α = 5%) was conducted. RESULTS: The second results showed that at 3.0× magnification, both compliance with ergonomic posture and the quality of class I cavity preparations were significantly superior compared to the naked eye (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Galilean loupes of 3.0× provided the best balance, improved working posture, and enhanced procedural quality.