Education · Dental schools
20 seconds in dentistry that doesn't come with training, but should
That quick burst of blue lasts about 20 seconds, but it can be the difference between a restoration that lasts and one that fails. So why does almost no one get trained on it?
Twenty seconds is not a lot of time. But in restorative dentistry, that quick burst of blue from a curing light can be the difference between a restoration that lasts and one that fails early. It is as fundamental as anesthetizing a nerve or preparing a tooth, and yet it receives almost none of the same attention.
Dentists spend roughly 60% of their day on restorations, and about half of practice income is tied to light-cured procedures. For a step that critical, it is remarkable how few of the people operating the light have ever been trained to cure properly.
At the most critical phase of the procedure, most curing-light operators are simply told to 'wait for the beep.'
There is far more to it than that. Restorative protocols describe material handling and placement in elaborate detail, but rarely say a word about curing technique, even though it is almost always a dental assistant holding the light. When a unit is working properly and used correctly, the operator can dramatically increase the energy actually delivered to the restoration.
What the simulator studies show
Across dental schools, proper light-curing technique gets little dedicated time, and the evidence on what that produces is stark. Studies using our MARC Patient Simulator found that:
- Most dental students, at every level, could not deliver enough energy to properly cure a resin composite.
- In one study, only 5% of students delivered the minimum recommended energy to cure a 2 mm increment of composite.
- Half of the practicing dentists studied also failed to deliver enough energy for a proper cure.
Share of dental students who delivered the minimum recommended energy to cure a 2 mm composite increment, in a MARC Patient Simulator study.
From the classroom to the clinic
That gap is exactly why Bluelight's education work runs from the dental school bench to the operatory. Proper technique covers everything from eye protection and tip placement to output levels and the discipline of routine light testing.
If your program wants to add a measurable light-curing competency, or your DSO wants consistent curing across every clinic, that is the work we do. Light-curing education for schools and curing standards for networks start from the same place: measure first, then teach to the number.
References
- Kopperud, S. E., et al. "Light curing procedures, performance, knowledge level and safety awareness among dentists." Journal of Dentistry 58 (2017): 67–73.
- 2014 Survey of Dental Fees, American Dental Association (1,236 dentists, USA).
- Rueggeberg, F. A., et al. "Light curing in dentistry and clinical implications: a literature review." Brazilian Oral Research 31 (2017).
- Shortall, A. C., et al. "Guidelines for the selection, use, and maintenance of LED light-curing units, Part 1." British Dental Journal 221.8 (2016): 453–460.
- Federlin, M., et al. "Improving light-curing instruction in dental school." Journal of Dental Education 77.6 (2013): 764–772.
- Anusavice, K. J., Shen, C., Rawls, H. R. Phillips' Science of Dental Materials, 12th ed. St. Louis: Saunders (2013).
- Price, R. B., et al. "The effectiveness of using a patient simulator to teach light-curing skills." Journal of the American Dental Association 145.1 (2014): 32–43.