The power of light - From dental materials processing to diagnostics and therapeutics.

Harnessing the power of light and its photonic energy is a powerful tool in biomedical applications. Its use ranges from biomaterials processing and fabrication of polymers to diagnostics and therapeutics. Dental light curable materials have evolved over several decades and now offer very fast (≤ 10 s) and reliable polymerization through depth (4-6 mm thick).

On the inaccuracies of dental radiometers.

This study investigated the accuracy of sixteen models of commercial dental radiometers (DR) in measuring the output of thirty-eight LED light curing units (LCUs) compared with a 'gold standard' laboratory-grade spectrometer integrating-sphere (IS) assembly. Nineteen Type I (fiber-bundle light guide) and nineteen Type II (light source in head) LED LCUs were tested, some using different output modes and light guides, resulting in 61 test subsets per radiometer. Gold standard (GS) output measurements (n = 3) were taken using the IS and confirmed with two types of laboratory-grade power meter (PowerMax-Pro 150 HD and PM10-19C; Coherent).

Guidelines for the selection, use, and maintenance of LED light-curing units - Part II.

This paper is the second in a two-part series on the topic of LED light-curing units (LCUs). This part discusses LCU selection, cross infection and decontamination, maintenance, the blue-light hazard, and some possible future developments for LCUs. The article focusses on the practical aspects of the subject from the clinician's perspective.

Guidelines for the selection, use, and maintenance of LED light-curing units - Part 1.

Light curing is a critical step in the restorative process when using light-activated resin-based composites, but it is frequently not given the attention it deserves. The selection of a reliable light curing unit (LCU) that meets the practitioner's needs is an important equipment purchase. Using an inappropriate LCU may seriously compromise the quality of care without the practitioner realising their mistake until years later.

Characterizing the output settings of dental curing lights.

Objectives: For improved inter-study reproducibility and ultimately improved patient care, researchers and dentists need to know what electromagnetic radiation (light) is emitted from the light-curing unit (LCU) they are using and what is received by the resin. This information cannot be obtained from a dental radiometer, even though many studies have used a dental radiometer.

Methods: The light outputs from six LCUs (two QTH and four broad-spectrum LED units) were collected in real-time using an integrating sphere connected to a fiberoptic spectrometer during different light exposures.