TY - JOUR
T1 - The light-curing unit
T2 - An essential piece of dental equipment
AU - Price, Richard B.
AU - Ferracane, Jack L.
AU - Hickel, Reinhard
AU - Sullivan, Braden
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 FDI World Dental Federation
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - Introduction: This article describes the features that should be considered when describing, purchasing and using a light-curing unit (LCU). Methods: The International System of Units (S.I.) terms of radiant power or radiant flux (mW), spectral radiant power (mW/nm), radiant exitance or tip irradiance (mW/cm2), and the irradiance received at the surface (also in mW/cm2) are used to describe the output from LCU. The concept of using an irradiance beam profile to map the radiant exposure (J/cm2) from the LCU is introduced. Results: Even small changes in the active tip diameter of the LCU will have a large effect on the radiant exitance. The emission spectra and the effects of distance on the irradiance delivered are not the same from all LCUs. The beam profile images show that using a single averaged irradiance value to describe the LCU can be very misleading. Some LCUs have ‘hot spots’ of high radiant exitance that far exceed the current ISO 10650 standard. Such inhomogeneity may cure the resin unevenly and may also be dangerous to soft tissues. Recommendations are made that will help the dentist when purchasing and then safely using the LCU. Conclusions: Dental manufacturers should report the radiant power from their LCU, the spectral radiant power, information about the compatibility of the emission spectrum from the LCU with the photoinitiators used, the active optical tip diameter, the radiant exitance, the effect of distance from the tip on the irradiance delivered, and the irradiance beam profile from the LCU.
AB - Introduction: This article describes the features that should be considered when describing, purchasing and using a light-curing unit (LCU). Methods: The International System of Units (S.I.) terms of radiant power or radiant flux (mW), spectral radiant power (mW/nm), radiant exitance or tip irradiance (mW/cm2), and the irradiance received at the surface (also in mW/cm2) are used to describe the output from LCU. The concept of using an irradiance beam profile to map the radiant exposure (J/cm2) from the LCU is introduced. Results: Even small changes in the active tip diameter of the LCU will have a large effect on the radiant exitance. The emission spectra and the effects of distance on the irradiance delivered are not the same from all LCUs. The beam profile images show that using a single averaged irradiance value to describe the LCU can be very misleading. Some LCUs have ‘hot spots’ of high radiant exitance that far exceed the current ISO 10650 standard. Such inhomogeneity may cure the resin unevenly and may also be dangerous to soft tissues. Recommendations are made that will help the dentist when purchasing and then safely using the LCU. Conclusions: Dental manufacturers should report the radiant power from their LCU, the spectral radiant power, information about the compatibility of the emission spectrum from the LCU with the photoinitiators used, the active optical tip diameter, the radiant exitance, the effect of distance from the tip on the irradiance delivered, and the irradiance beam profile from the LCU.
KW - Dental curing lights
KW - beam profiling
KW - fibre optic spectrometer
KW - light and optics terminology
KW - light measurement techniques
KW - radiant exposure
KW - resin-based composites
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U2 - 10.1111/idj.12582
DO - 10.1111/idj.12582
M3 - Article
C2 - 32696512
AN - SCOPUS:85088294883
SN - 0020-6539
VL - 70
SP - 407
EP - 417
JO - International Dental Journal
JF - International Dental Journal
IS - 6
ER -