Top 5 Mouth Mirrors for Dentistry

A Guide to Choosing the Best Type and Size of Dental Mirrors

The mouth mirror is essential to the dentist’s toolkit, allowing indirect viewing of areas that would otherwise be obscured. In addition to this, it comes into use when soft tissues, such as the tongue or cheek, need to be moved out of the way and can be used to reflect light to difficult-to-reach areas of the mouth. This tool also helps to reduce wear and tear on the dentist’s body by allowing them to view areas of the mouth that, while technically visible, would require the dentist to move into uncomfortable or awkward positions.

Comparison Table 1:

Top 10 Mouth Props in Dentistry

Types of Mouth Mirror

Multiple types of mirrors are designed for performing specific functions during dental exams. Selecting the right mouth mirror to serve the needs of your practice requires some consideration and an understanding of what makes each unit unique.

• Front Surface Mirrors: This mirror helps to produce an image clear from distortion, being a simple reflection.

• Concave Mirrors: These mirrors have a curved surface that magnifies the portion of the mouth that is reflected. It’s a good choice for viewing between the gums, cheek, tongue, and gums.

• Double-Sided Mirrors: These mirrors are perfect for retracting soft tissues like the tongue or cheek while still providing a reflective surface for viewing the desired area.

In all cases, you have the option between composite units and single-piece units. Composite units have a headpiece, and a handle piece, that can be separated from each other for the purposes of replacing worn-out pieces. Single-piece units, as the name implies, are meant to be disposed of when the unit becomes worn or broken. A third option is disposable mouth mirrors, which prevent the spread of infection and don’t require sterilization since they are opened and disposed of between uses.

Size Of The Mirror:

Mouth mirrors are available in sizes ranging from Size No. 0, being 014 millimeters, and size No. 10 is 055 millimeters. The most commonly used are No. 4 and No. 5, 0 18mm and 0 20mm, respectively. No. 2 is a common choice when working in smaller areas. In many cases, a set that includes every size in the range can be bought.

The commonly available sizes of mouth mirrors:

• No. 0 – 014mm
• No. 1 – 016mm
• No. 2 – 018 mm
• No. 3 – 020 mm
• No. 4 – 022 mm
• No. 5 – 024 mm
• No. 6 – 026mm
• No. 7 – 028mm
• No. 8 – 030mm
• No. 9 – 040 mm
• No. 10 – 055 mm

Mouth mirrors are a common tool available from a broad range of suppliers, making it difficult to know who to purchase yours from. We collected information from respected sources in the dental community, including The Dental Advisor, and compiled a Top 5 List of the best mirror manufacturers and disposable sets on the market today.

Top 10 Dental Loupes & Magnifiers

1. Flecta Disposable Mouth Mirrors

200/Bx. by Pulpdent Corporation

Nte32 Ratings: Five stars out of 4 Reviews

Awards: 4 ½ stars out of 5 stars, at 83% clinical rating by Dental Advisor

When it comes to disposable mirrors, the Flecta design presents a unique design that gives dentists an advantage for checkups; its elongated mirror gives dentists a 40% longer viewing surface, and has a pull-tab for the protective film, making it easy to remove. The mirror is double-sided, with a back-side light reflector for easy viewing. Its design also features a lightweight handle that’s comfortable to hold for long periods, and its scratch-resistant surface gives peace of mind for a low price.

Pulpdent Price: $56.35

Net32 Price: $44.60

2. Crystal HD Mouth Mirrors

12/Pk by Zirc Dental Products

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 1 Review

Awards: Five out of Five stars at 96% clinical rating by Dental Advisor

The Crystal HD mirrors make disposable mirrors a fun, colorful experience for any patient. The mirror lens produces a 40% brighter image than traditional rhodium mirrors, with a 99% true color reflection for an accurate diagnosis. The Crystal HD mirror sets can come in #4 and #5 sizes, with plastic and stainless steel handles for convenience. All mirrors manufactured by Zirc Dental contain anti-microbial protection from bacterial growth, are autoclavable, and come in an assortment of 12 neon colors for a distinct design.

Net32 Price:$71.99

3. Disposable Mouth Mirrors

48/Pk by Plasdent

Net32 Ratings: Five stars out of 2 Reviews

The Plasdent disposable mirrors help to reduce sterilization expenses and practice management expenses with their low price and simple functionality. The Plasdent mirrors feature a strong acrylic material that can handle basic dental procedures, and its ergonomic design features an extra-strong neck for cases of biting and chewing. Its pull-off tabs keep the mirrors scratch-free until use and thus make these disposable mirrors excellent for pediatric practices and orthodontic checkups for applying wax and elastics.

Net32 Price: $11.75

4. Plastic Disposable Dental Mirrors

100/Bx by Bader

Dentaltix Ratings: Four stars out of 4 reviews

Bader is is a Spanish company specializing in producing dental appliances, instruments, and various products for low prices. Bader produces its product selections for national and international practices and offers premium disposable dental mirrors in bulk for significantly low prices. The Bader premium mirrors feature a lightweight, ergonomic design that’s relaxing to hold, feature 135-degree autoclavable rotation, and its mirrors are made to avoid the reflection that doesn’t deform the field of vision. Its handle features a soft, pleasant texture and matt finishes for less slippage.

Dentaltix Price: $9.63

5. Plastic Disposable Mirrors

100/Bx by Starline

Dentaltix Ratings: Five stars out of 4 Reviews

Starline produces generic brand consumer and disposable products for the dental sector, providing an excellent product-to-price ratio. Starline’s disposable mirrors are all individually wrapped in durable plastic to protect against bacteria contamination and have a mirror reflection that deflects against light glare. The disposable mirrors offer excellent image quality and feature a plastic grip that’s comfortable to hold for any dentist. Starline disposable mirrors are best used for intraoral scans and general dentistry practices.

Dentaltix Price: $8.81

Table 1: Comparison of Reviews, Ratings, Prices, and Availability of Dental Mirrors on Amazon

Table 2: Comparison of Features of Dental Mirrors on Amazon