2024 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 76-80
Front surface mirrors are commonly used in microscopic dentistry. This is because conventional back surface mirrors produce a ghosting effect in which the reflected image appears doubled, preventing objects from being seen clearly. However, most commercially available front surface mirrors use rare metals for their reflective coatings. They have the advantages of reflecting a clearer image with higher reflectance than back surface mirrors, but they have the disadvantages of high cost and durability issues. The reflectance of various front surface mirrors was compared, and a front surface mirror was successfully developed without using rare metals; it had an excellent average reflectance of 99% in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm, within the visible light spectrum of 380 nm to 780 nm.
