In dental procedures, the light cure in dentistry is one of the critical tools. And, it is the dental equipment used for achieving curing by emitting a specific wavelength of light to activate the chemical reaction in the dental materials. There are many options available in the dental curing lights market. In this post, the author would give a comprehensive guide to curing light.

Dental curing light refers to the dental equipment designed to cure resin-based composites by polymerization of light. Polymerization is the technical term meaning transforming 'monomers' into 'polymers'. In summary, in addition to natural teeth, any implant or dental attachment can be cleaned and strengthened with a specific light source.

With the development of the curing lights, the lighting technology of the light curing lamp also gets developed. Then, 4 types of dental curing lights are available and capable of achieving the blue wavelength which can be used for polymerization. In this section, the author would list the commonly used products.

Just like the dental laboratory tungsten carbide burs, the tungsten halogen curing light is one of the early dental equipment, developed in the 1980s. It utilizes the blue wavelength to replace the

 

The halogen dental light curing lamp is energized to generate the light. Then, the filament in the dental curing light lamp would reach 3,000 Kelvin or roughly 2,700 degrees Celsius, which means the visible light would reach a wavelength of 400 to 500 nanometers. Then, considering this high-temperature environment, a powerful ventilating fan is a necessity.
Then, it has been proven to be practical so far. Then, as time goes by, dental curing lights also get developed to fulfill the need for light curing units dentistry. It is because the tungsten halogen curing light usually tends to produce a great heat to achieve light and needs the ventilation fan to cool, as a result, the working noise of the curing light is loud.

In the 1990s, dental light curing was still gets developed. The fluorescent bulb that contains plasma is able to produce a light source of high intensity. It is said that it can cure the resin composite material within 3 seconds. It may be the initial version of the fast curing light. The dental curing light bulbs are high-pressure vessels made from aluminum oxide containing xenon gases highly energized under a pressure of 150 psi. When the arc is produced between 2 energized electrodes, the reflectors direct a focused beam. There is no doubt that it is effective but high cost.

 

The argon laser is commonly used for medical practices and can be seen in an eye clinic's procedure. This argon laser makes use of the noble gas 'argon' as the medium of light to make the light more concentrated. Then, this whole process can be regarded as laser technology. As for the application of dentistry, this technology may take the hospital and clinic a large amount of budget.

Looking through the dental curing lights market, the lasers and plasma arcs are more efficient than tungsten halogen lights, but they are not economical and impractical. Then, LED light technology is implemented in the dental industry. The light cure led is newly launched in dentistry. It is a wide spectrum light cure, so the component of the light cure led can emit a wide spectrum of light without wasting energy in generating heat or causing a high cost. Because of the low wasted heat consumption, it requires small-size of ventilation fans. However, it still has a limitation, compared with the above three types of curing lights, it is incapable of producing more power. And, It relies on chemical reactions for luminescence and easily to be damaged if excessive energy is used.

To correctly cure resin-based composites, it is crucial to use the right light cure in dentistry. Then, most led lamp manufacturers have given particular instructions on the specification of curing light dental to be used. And, sometimes, the dentist also has his/her preference, but let's find out what factors you should pay attention to during the selection of the dental curing light.

The higher the dental curing light intensity, the better the chance of success in polymerizing. However, different composites usually have different requirements in the dental curing light intensity. Therefore, you need to choose the dental curing light intensity according to the composite materials you use. By the way, some curing lights with high intensity may also generate heat, which can be uncomfortable for the patient and potentially damaging to the dental materials. So, it is important to choose a curing light that provides sufficient intensity for effective curing while minimizing heat generation.

The wavelength is one of the important aspects in curing light dental. It relates to the  'penetrating' capability of the light. The shorter the wavelength of the light, the higher the frequency is, and the easier they pass through the organic matter. And, some composite materials also require a specific wavelength for the full penetration of the material. Generally speaking, curing light with a wavelength in the range of 420 to 480 nm is typically suitable for most dental materials.

It indicates that how the led light cure unit dental carries out the polymerization. Obviously, the light would achieve the expected level of operation. However, some composite materials also react to stress and produce stress as light is emitted. Here are the usual programs for polymerization.
Ramp Up = progressively increasing the intensity
Staggered = alternating between the minimum and maximum intensity
Constant maximum power level

 

In order to ensure the user's comfort, you need to take the design of the dental light curing lamp into consideration. And, when it comes to involving with the composite materials attached to the tooth or gums, the dental light curing lamp design should consider dental hygiene, ergonomics, weight, and tip angle.

Light cure battery is the important factor that almost determines the working time of the dental curing light. A dental curing light with a longer battery life could let you perform more procedures between charges, meanwhile, it could prevent the risk of interruption during a procedure as possible. Then, You also could choose the chargeable dental curing light which could be charged with the led lamp usb charger. The curing light battery 18500 is the classic design.

All in all, selecting the right dental led curing light could benefit your dental procedures a lot. By reading this post, you could get a comprehensive impression about curing light and find the right one for your specific needs and budget.
 

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