Curing performance of a new-generation light-emitting diode dental curing unit.
BACKGROUND; Recent technological advances have resulted in the marketing of high-powered, or HP, battery-operated light-emitting diode, or LED, dental curing lights. The authors examine the curing efficiency and peak polymerization temperature, or Tp, of a new HP LED curing light.


METHODS
The authors studied four visible light-curing, or VLC, units: HP LED (A), first-generation LED (B), conventional halogen (C) and high-intensity halogen (D). They determined the depth of cure, or DOC; adhesion; and Tp of three types of VLC resin-based composites after exposure to each light. The exposure times for units A and D were one-half those for units B and C.


RESULTS
The power density of unit A was 1,000 milliwatts per square centimeter, which was comparable to that of unit D with turbo charge. The DOC and adhesion attained for all three resin-based composites after being light cured by unit A for a 10-second exposure time were equivalent to those after being light cured by unit D for a 10-second exposure time and to those after being light cured by units B and C for 20-second exposure times. The resin-based composites light cured by unit A attained significantly lower Tps than did those light cured by unit D at equivalent cure, or exposure, times and by unit C at twice the cure time.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors found that Unit A effectively cured the resin-based composites at one-half the cure time of units B and C and at the same time as unit D, while maintaining low Tp.


CONCLUSIONS
The battery-operated HP LED curing light might be an effective, time-saving alternative for clinicians to use in light curing resin-based composites.
Wiggins
Kim M
KM
3M ESPE Dental Products, St. Paul, Minn 55144, USA.
Hartung
Martin
M
Althoff
Olaf
O
Wastian
Christine
C
Mitra
Sumita B
SB
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003748:Dental Equipment; D006219:Halogens; D008027:Light; D044367:Phase Transition; D012666:Semiconductors; D044366:Transition Temperature
D003188:Composite Resins; C452225:Filtek A110 composite resin; C474035:Filtek Supreme; C444701:Filtek Z250; D006219:Halogens