UK dental care for children - a specialist workforce analysis.

Introduction The main specialties involved with the treatment of children in the UK are paediatric dentistry and orthodontics. In December 2019, these accounted for approximately 38% of all specialists listed by the General Dental Council (GDC). Recent evidence of difficulties filling specialist NHS job posts and the absence of specialists in some UK postal areas suggests a demographic analysis of these specialties is timely.

A brief history of LED photopolymerization.

Objectives: The majority of modern resin-based oral restorative biomaterials are cured via photopolymerization processes. A variety of light sources are available for this light curing of dental materials, such as composites or fissure sealants. Quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) light curing units (LCUs) have dominated light curing of dental materials for decades and are now almost entirely replaced by modern light emitting diode light curing units (LED LCUs).

Time dependence of composite shrinkage using halogen and LED light curing.

Objectives: The polymerization shrinkage of light cured dental composites presents the major drawback for these aesthetically adaptable restorative materials. LED based light curing technology has recently become commercially available. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate if there was a statistically significant difference in linear and volumetric composite shrinkage strain if a LED LCU is used for the light curing process rather than a conventional halogen LCU.

The influence of storage and indenter load on the Knoop hardness of dental composites polymerized with LED and halogen technologies.

Objectives: The mechanical properties of light cured dental composites are greatly influenced by the light curing unit (LCU) used for the polymerization. Previous studies have shown that for some composites lower mechanical properties were obtained if light emitting diode (LED) LCUs were used for the polymerization instead of halogen LCUs. Previous studies have also shown that light cured composites improve their mechanical properties through a post-curing process after the initial illumination with the LCUs.

Polymerization and light-induced heat of dental composites cured with LED and halogen technology.

Most commercial light curing units (LCUs) for dental applications use conventional halogen bulbs. Commercial LCUs using light emitting diodes (LEDs) have recently become established on the market, even though some aspects of their performance have not been fully investigated. Temperature rise of dental composites during the light-induced polymerization is considered to be a potential hazard for the pulp of the tooth.

Photoinitiator dependent composite depth of cure and Knoop hardness with halogen and LED light curing units.

Light curing units (LCUs) are used for the polymerization of dental composites. Recent trends in light curing technology include replacing the halogen LCUs with LCUs using light emitting diodes (LEDs) reducing curing times and varying the LCUs light output within a curing cycle. This study investigated the time dependence of the Knoop hardness and depth of cure of dental composites polymerized with a halogen LCU (Trilight) and two LED LCUs (the commercial Freelight and custom-made LED LCU prototype).

Knoop hardness depth profiles and compressive strength of selected dental composites polymerized with halogen and LED light curing technologies.

After the first light-emitting diode (LED) light curing units (LCUs) became available commercially, a comparison of mechanical properties between materials polymerized with conventional halogen lamps and this new technology was required. This study, therefore, investigated the curing performance of two conventional commercial halogen LCUs (Translux CL, Spectrum800), a custom-made LED LCU prototype, and one of the first commercially available LED LCUs (LUXoMAX). The Spectrum800 was adjusted to a similar irradiance to the custom-made LED LCU prototype.

High power light emitting diode (LED) arrays versus halogen light polymerization of oral biomaterials: Barcol hardness, compressive strength and radiometric properties.

The clinical performance of light polymerized dental composites is greatly influenced by the quality of the light curing unit (LCU) used. Commonly used halogen LCUs have some specific drawbacks such as decreasing light output with time. This may result in a low degree of monomer conversion of the composites with negative clinical implications.