The opinions within this web page are not ours. Authors have been credited for the individual posts where they are. Photos courtesy Carlos Murgel - ROOTS

From: Carlos Murgel
To: ROOTS
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 8:49 PM
Subject: [roots] Microscope positioning and ergonomics

Dear friends,

First of all I would like to wishes a happy new year to all the rooters and their families.

I have seen some discussion about scope positioning and ergonomics here and I would like to give some
contribution on this topic.

My picts are in sequence of what I have done in the past 12 years with microscopes and as you can see
I changed a lot my concepts.

I started with the scope mounted in the wall at the 12 o'clock position, later to 3 o'clock also wall
mount and later 5 to 4 o'clock movable stand (the column of the scope is aligned with the head light column.
To be honest with you all none of these scope positioning gave me a good ergonomics and work flow.  I was
able to work that way for many years but it was far from ideal because I wanted to work at 12 o'clock
position and it was impossible with the scope where it was.

The last pictures are my current office made the TDO way developed by Gary Carr with the scope mounted at
the wall high on the right side.  I am very very happy with what I have now and if I could advise anybody
in the world about how to setup an office to work efficiently with scopes and computers I would go with
the TDO System (office design).

I don't want to start any ergonomic war here this is just what I use and teach and it works for me.
We are all different and do things differently but equal on our search for excellence - Carlos Murgel









Nice photos , thanks for sharing.  I think the patient in your scenario
enters the room from the base of the chair right.  Your right handed
cart makes entry into the op from behind quite difficult.  I think that
the two best mounting options are either like you have it or in the
ceiling if possible.

The scope mounted on the right wall with a cart on that side like that
shown which is popular in endo necessitates that entry to the operatory
be from the foot of the chair for the patient.  My overall office is not
setup this way (nor is most GPs) where the hallway leads directly into
the rear of most ops with two entry ways for doc and patients on the
right of the chair and for assistants on the left.

This is one primary difference from the way that endodontists like
Carlos and Gary set up their ops and the way general dentists using the
scope may.

In addition it is brutal to have rear delivery handpieces for the
microscope.  Side delivery via a car or via a mounted side delivery on
the docs side, or even better for me has been the usage of the
handpieces on my assistants side so she hands me everything.  It may not
be as easy to do with the assistants side on the scope to have the
assistant also handing you the handpieces, others will have to comment
on that as I havent done it.

Carlos and Gary have spent alot of thought on how an ideal microscope
operatory , especially suited for endo should be setup.

Thanks for sharing......Glenn

Thanks Glenn . Yes the patient uses the front door, I would be difficult to have the patient using
the back door with the scope and the cart there.  I think this is a very good setup to have two doors
but many TDOers also have one door at the back and they do well also. - Carlos