title: Effect of instruction on dental students&#8217; ability to light-cure a simulated restoration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the light energy that dental students delivered to a simulated Class I restoration before training, immediately after training and 4 months after training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight (38) dental students used a single light-emitting diode curing light (SmartLite iQ2, Dentsply) to cure, for 10 seconds, a simulated Class I restoration positioned in the Managing Accurate Resin Curing - Patient Simulator (BlueLight analytics inc.). The students then attended an instructional lecture and received individualized instruction on optimizing their light-curing technique. The students were retested immediately after instruction and again 4 months later (without further instruction). The irradiance and energy delivered during light-curing were calculated for each student at all 3 time points. Mean values were calculated and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before instruction, the students delivered between 0.1 and 7.2 J/cm2 of energy (mean ± standard deviation [SD] 4.1 ± 1.7 J/cm2). After instruction, the same students delivered between 5.8 and 7.5 J/cm2 of energy (mean ± SD 6.7 ± 0.4 J/cm2). Analysis of variance and Fisher's Protected Least Significant Difference tests showed that instruction with the patient simulator led to a significant improvement in the amount of energy delivered and that the students retained this information. When retested 4 months later, the students delivered between 4.2 and 7.9 J/cm2 of energy (mean ± SD 6.1 ±1.1 J/cm2). Although this was less energy than immediately after instruction, the decline was not significant (p = 0.44).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Provision of immediate feedback on light-curing technique and instruction on how to avoid mistakes led to a significant and lasting improvement in the amount of energy delivered by the students.
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. sachin.seth@dal.ca
authors.forename: Sachin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seth
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Coralie D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ayer
mesh_terms: D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D055117:Curing Lights, Dental / Q000145:classification; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000145:classification; D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000193:education*; D004497:Education, Dental; D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D005246:Feedback; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D055115:Light-Curing of Dental Adhesives / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008348:Manikins; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013335:Students, Dental
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; C467913:Filtek Flow