title: Clinical effect of reducing curing times with high-intensity LED lights.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical performance of brackets cured with a high-intensity, light-emitting diode (LED) with a shorter curing time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four patients and a total of 680 brackets were examined using a randomized split-mouth design. The maxillary right and mandibular left quadrants were cured for 6 seconds with a high-intensity LED light (3200 mW/cm(2)) and the maxillary left and mandibular right quadrants were cured for 20 seconds with a standard-intensity LED light (1200 mW/cm(2)). Alternating patients had the quadrants inverted for the curing protocol. The number and date of each first-time bracket failure was recorded from 199 to 585 days posttreatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bracket failure rate was 1.18% for both curing methods. The proportion of bracket failure was not significantly different between curing methods (P  =  1.000), genders (P  =  1.000), jaws (P  =  .725), sides (P  =  .725), or quadrants (P  =  .547). Posterior teeth exhibited a greater proportion of failures (2.21%) relative to anterior teeth (0.49%), although the difference was not statistically significant (P  =  .065).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No difference was found in bond failure rates between the two curing methods. Both methods showed bond failure rates low enough to be considered clinically sufficient. The high-intensity LED light used with a shorter curing time may be considered an advantage due to the reduced chair time.
authors.affiliation: a  Private practice, Burley, Idaho.
authors.forename: Justin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: b  Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
authors.forename: Bethany J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: c  Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, College of Dental Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
authors.forename: Luis P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.affiliation: d  Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, College of Dental Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D055117:Curing Lights, Dental; D001840:Dental Bonding / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016910:Orthodontic Brackets; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bracket failure rate; Curing times; LED lights