Efficiency of light curing units in a government dental school

Abstract

The light intensity of a light-curing unit is a crucial factor that affects the clinical longevity of resin composites. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of light-curing units in use at a local governmental dental school for curing conventional and bulk-fill resin materials. A total of 166 light-curing units at three locations were examined, and the brand, type, clinic location, diameter of curing tip, tip cleanliness (using a visual score), and the output (in mW/cm using a digital radiometer) were recorded. Only 23.5% of the units examined had clean tips, with the graduate student clinical area containing the highest percentage of clean tips. Further, tips with poor cleanliness score values were associated with significantly lower output intensities. A small percentage (9.4%) of units was capable of producing intensities higher than 1,200 mW/cm and lower than 600 mW/cm (7.6%). The majority of the low intensity units were located in the undergraduate student area, which also contained the highest number of units with intensities between 900 and 1,200 mW/cm. The output of all the units in service was satisfactory for curing conventional resin composites, and most units were capable of curing bulk-fill resin materials.

Types of polymerisation units and their intensity output in private dental clinics of twin cities in eastern province, KSA; a pilot study

“…Recently, the result of a government dental school in Jeddah, 2018, showed similar trends to our study with LED curing lights being more prevalent (82.9%) than (17.1%), thus indicating a change in preference towards LED units over QTH units over time in dental institutes as well 4 …”

“…Caries prevalence in KSA has been reported to be up to 91–98%, which is considered to be a high percentage 1 ; thus, restorative dentistry is considered one of the most important aspects of dental clinics in KSA. Light-cured resin-based composite (RBC) is one of the most highly preferred options to restore both anterior and posterior teeth 2 over amalgam restorative material, 3 as they can provide better aesthetics and have a command set by the operator during placement 4 . The longevity and clinical performance of RBC restorations is dependent on multiple factors and is mostly associated with the use and efficiency of light-curing units (LCUs) 5, 6…”

Irradiance of different curing modes of common light cure devices: An in vitro study

“…In a recent study, only 10% of the tested 166 LCDs produced values capable of polymerizing bulk-fill formulations. [ 16 ] The bulk-fill formulation usually contains new photoinitiators that are more sensitive but still require higher irradiance values to produce adequate degree of conversion with 4 mm or more increments. [ 17 18 ] In general, bulk-fill composites require 10s of curing at >1000 mW/cm 2 according to most manufacturers.…”

Evaluation of Light-curing Intensity Output and Students’ Knowledge among Dental Schools in Riyadh City

“…Resin composites have photoinitiators that are activated by the LCU, the most common photoinitiator is camphorquinone. This component is activated by the light-curing device at a wavelength between 420 and 580 nm [11]. This range is only successful for composite increments less or equal to 2 mm in thickness.…”