Time is money! Are you curing wisely?
The age-old saying “time is money” is certainly true for any dental practice, especially with respect to how long you cure your composites. Since 50% of a clinic’s revenue comes from procedures that require light-curing, if performed incorrectly, you’ll see it on your books in the form of emergency post-op visits and no-charge rework.
A 2017 Norwegian study found that 78% of dentists did not know the irradiance value of their curing light. The study also found that the average curing time used (27s) per layer of composite was not statistically different for a dentist who knew the output of their lights compared to those who did not (1).
This means many dentists are either delivering too little or too much energy to their dental restoration. Too little, and you’ll get sensitivity, fractures, etc. Too much, and you can damage the pulp. Several in vitro studies show that light emitted from high-power LCUs can be harmful to the pulp depending on the light output and exposure time (1). Other studies show that the use of LCUs with irradiance values higher than 1,200 mW/cm2 with a curing time greater than 20s, may harm the pulp tissue and cause superficial tissue damage as well (2).
Similarly, under-cured resins are a significant cause of restoration failure due to fracture, secondary caries, or excessive wear of the restoration. Additionally, when dental resin-based composite materials are not optimally cured, they are more likely to leach toxic substances (4).
Ensuring proper curing times based on your light and materials is a quick and easy way to save time and money plus ensure you’re delivering the best patient outcomes, always!
Here’s how we can help get you started:
For Our Customers:
keep testing your lights so you’ll always know the latest irradiance level
make sure you have input all your lights and materials into the Bluelight app so your recommended curing times will be as accurate as possible.
For Non-Customers:
check out our FREE curing time calculator which provides you with the manufacturer’s recommended curing time of your resin-based composites based on the output of your light.
request a FREE light test at your clinic, from our partners at 3M, who will use our state-of-the-art dental radiometer to test your lights and let you know the irradiance levels.
order a Bluelight radiometer for your clinic. It comes with our easy-to-follow app that provides irradiance levels, curing times and more!
Is your DSO ready to make our “No Failed Fillings” commitment to ensure better patient outcomes? Send us an email now to request a quick demo of our DSO platform.
1. Kopperud, S. E., H. V. Rukke, H. M. Kopperud, and E. M. Bruzell. "Light curing procedures–performance, knowledge level and safety awareness among dentists." Journal of dentistry 58 (2017): 67-73.
2. Rueggeberg, Frederick Allen, et al. "Light curing in dentistry and clinical implications: a literature review." Brazilian oral research 31 (2017).
3. Mouhat, Mathieu, et al. "Light-curing units used in dentistry: factors associated with heat development—potential risk for patients." Clinical oral investigations 21.5 (2017): 1687-1696.
4. Richard B. Price, Adrian C. Shortall, and William M. Palin. “Contemporary issues in light curing”. In: Operative Dentistry 39.1 (2014), pp. 4–14.