To Cure with Confidence, Choose Your Light Wisely
The 3M Elipar DeepCure-S, LED Curing Light offers a deep and uniform cure even at the bottom of the proximal box or in situations where light positioning is difficult
How do you know if the curing light you’re using will provide a deep and uniform cure, even in areas where light positioning is a challenge? According to Nate Lawson, DMD, PhD, Director of the Division of Biomaterials at the UAB School of Dentistry, there are 3 key factors to consider when choosing a curing light: irradiance, beam parallelism, and beam homogeneity.
Sufficient light irradiance is important, as it ensures the curing light will emit enough energy to allow for complete polymerization of the material. A curing light with insufficient power, or one that shows a significant drop in irradiance over clinically relevant distances, will require a longer curing time than what’s recommended in the instructions for use. “A product such as the 3M Elipar DeepCure-S, LED Curing Light, which maintains its irradiance throughout the curing procedure, gives clinicians confidence that their composites will be completely cured within the recommended timeframe,” explained Dr. Lawson.
The clinician and educator cautions against choosing curing lights with a high irradiance but a small light tip area. “These curing lights will only cure a small area of composite at a time and may require multiple overlapping curing steps for larger restorations,” he said. By contrast, the light guide geometry of the 3M Elipar DeepCure-S is 10-mm wide and designed with an angle and height that makes it more comfortable for patients—even those with limited mouth openings.
“Aside from maintaining its irradiance, the metal casing of the curing light has helped to prevent any significant damage to the body of the light.”
- Nate Lawson, DMD, PhD
A Powerful and Durable Workhorse
A true workhorse, the curing light is one of the most heavily used pieces of equipment in the operatory, which means its essential product features may begin to wane with regular use.
“With some curing lights, the irradiance of the light may decrease over time, and therefore, a radiometer should be used in the office to monitor the curing light’s irradiance,” explained Dr. Lawson, adding that in his experience, the 3M Elipar DeepCure-S has maintained its irradiance over the past several years.
The curing light is encased in 1-piece stainless-steel housing for enhanced durability. “Aside from maintaining its irradiance, the metal casing of the light has helped prevent significant damage to the body of the light, despite it undergoing several drops to the ground,” he added. “Additionally, the replaceable light guide allows the curing light to be easily repaired if there is any damage to the tip.”
More to Look Out For
A curing light’s ability to maintain a high irradiance at clinically relevant distances, also known as beam parallelism, also is important because the curing light tip is often physically separated from the surface it is curing. “For example, when curing a deep Class II box, the curing light tip can be several millimeters away from the curing light,” said Dr. Lawson. The solution? Look for lights with a more collimated beam profile and homogeneous energy distribution across the face of the tip, such as the 3M Elipar DeepCure-S, as these features allow the light to maintain high irradiance even at distances several millimeters away from the tip.
