Influence of Dental Magnification

The use of magnification for microsurgical procedures is not a new concept. The first magnifying devices to assist surgery were introduced to the field of medicine during late 1800s. Nevertheless, the first surgical microscope OPMI 1 was introduced in 1950. This instrument, which was invented and commercially marketed by Carl Zeiss Company, had a coaxial lighting system and an option for stereoscopic view. However, this instrument failed to gain acceptance by the medical fraternity because of its poor configuration and too-long focal length. The first microscope for dentistry was introduced by Apotheker and Jako in 1978. In endodontics, microsurgery has been practiced since 1986. In 1992, the microsurgery was also introduced to the specialty of periodontics.