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Volume 3 Issue 6
|
S
upporting
Y
our
P
ractice
What should you look for in a
curing light?
For long-lasting, durable restorations, you must select the right
curing light for your practice. But sifting through manufacturer’s
claims and deciding what type of curing light to choose can be
a daunting task. To help shed some light on this question, CDA
convened a panel discussion with three light curing experts who
attended the
2014 Symposium on Light Curing in Dentistry
in Halifax.
On the importance of
access
HS:
From a clinician’s viewpoint, access is a very important criterion. I want to be
able to access the tooth I’m restoring from the occlusal, buccal, and lingual aspects,
knowing full well that not every patient can open their mouth adequately to get full
access. A curing light should work well for both adult and pediatric patients with the
light held at right angles to the surface and as close as possible without interfering
with the composite.
On the importance of
light intensity
JO:
From my perspective as a photopolymer scientist, I believe there are several key
factors one should investigate when you are considering buying a new curing light.
The curing light should have enough intensity to ensure a good and comparable
cure at both the top and bottom of the composite restoration, without generating
too much heat. I would suggest lights with intensity values of 750 to no more than
2,000 milliwatts per square centimetre. Those with outputs higher than this amount
potentially generate excessive heat, without curing the composite any faster. Most
recent studies show that higher intensity does not result in shorter curing times due
to the nature of today’s curing chemistries. One should follow the suggested curing
times of the composite manufacturer and not that of the light manufacturer.
On the importance of
choosing a blue-only or a
multiwave/multipeak curing light
FR:
With LED-based curing lights, you’re usually faced with 2 choices: a light that
emits only blue light or a light that emits both blue and violet light, also known as a
multiwave (or multipeak) light. A blue-only LED light activates a photoinitiator in the
restorative material called camphorquinone, whereas a multiwave light polymerizes
materials by activating both camphorquinone and an alternative initiator.
Dr. Howard Strassler
(
HS
)
is professor and director of
operative dentistry at the
University of Maryland School
of Dentistry in the department
of endodontics, prosthodontics,
and operative dentistry.
Dr. Joe Oxman
(
JO
)
has
a PhD in organic chemistry
and is a corporate scientist
with 3M’s Oral Care Systems
Division. He is also the 3M
Director of Research for the
Minnesota Dental Research
Center for Biomaterials and
Biomechanics at the University
of Minnesota.
Dr. Frederick Rueggeberg
(
FR
)
is professor and section
director of dental materials
at the Dental College
of Georgia at Augusta
University in Georgia.
The Panel Experts