title: Use of surgical telescopes by senior dental students: a survey.
abstract: This survey examined the use of surgical telescopes (STs) in a large senior dental student class. The percentage of students who purchased STs, factors that influenced those purchases, frequency/patterns of use, and purchase satisfaction were investigated. The survey return rate was 85.3% (128 of 150). Among the respondents, 86% had purchased STs and 14% had not. The most frequent motive for ST purchase was advice received from others (43%); ergonomic reasons were cited by 21% of users. Fixed-lens designs were selected more frequently (70%) than flip-down systems (30%). Nearly all ST purchases were made during the first year of dental school (95%), and low-power magnification (x 2-2.5) was chosen by 88% of purchasers. STs were used more often for operative dentistry, fixed prosthodontics, endodontics, and pediatric dentistry than for practice in other disciplines. ST users expressed a high level of satisfaction with their purchases (84%). The most common reason given for not purchasing STs was being able to see well enough without them (9 of 18; 50%).
authors.affiliation: University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hagge
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003762:Dental Instruments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000295:instrumentation; D004708:Endodontics / Q000295:instrumentation; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000295:instrumentation; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000295:instrumentation; D012495:San Francisco; D013335:Students, Dental; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires