subject: Curing Light Technique Is Widely Used [print this page] Curing Light Technique is Widely Used Curing Light Technique is Widely Used
Curing light technique is widely used in chemical engineering, polymer processing and medicine to generate heat in the targeted area. Infrared, Ultra violet, Halogen light etc are usually used in curing light technique. One typical example of light curing is the dental curing light used by the dentists for treating tooth cavities or filling root canals. Using a dental curing light normally gets a patient out of the dental chair quicker thus limiting the experience of irritation and pain to an appreciable level. However, with the array of curing lights in the market today, it can get quite confusing for a dentist who wants to acquire a curing lamp for the first time.
The therapy involves the targeted action of high intensity light such as UV light to generate heat by concentrating it in the target area. To fill the cavities of tooth, adhesive chemicals such as polymer resin is used which is compressed in the cavity using the UV light. The compression makes the adhesive completely adheres to the inner surface of the tooth.
With the introduction of LED curing light, comfortable dental therapy is now possible without generating heat. Here is a review of some of the curing lights available in the market. The standard halogen curing light is a well-proven device which cures the restorative resins in a reasonable period of time. Even with the movement towards LED curing lights the standard halogen curing lights are still commonly used by many practitioners. The standard halogen dental curing light is easy to use. In addition, this is a light which is cheap to buy and to maintain and thus a typical practice can afford several of these lamps without incurring a major financial sacrifice.
The fast standard halogen curing lamp has been widely accepted among dentists. Even if the curing light is more expensive than the standard halogen dental led curing light, the reduction in curing time when using this device compensates for the extra cost over a period of time. The PAC curing lights came into the market about six years ago. Back then dentists could not believe just how quick these curing lights restored the resins. On average their recommended curing time is roughly 3-5 seconds. However, a PAC curing light costs three to four times as much as a standard halogen dental curing light.
With the introduction of high power LEDs, blue LED light is now used as a source for curing light technique. High power LED (3 or 5 Watts) is used as the light source which emits blue light in the wave length of 430-485 nano meters. Light intensity can reach 1000 milli watt per cm2 and the timing of curing usually 10-20 seconds can be set using a timer. The LED lamp hardly generates heat so the operation is comfortable. The light output can be adjusted as Fast, Ramp or Pulse depending on the requirements. Light activated dental resin is used to fill the cavity of tooth. It is translucent polymer that quickly hardens when exposed to specific light spectrums. The required wavelength of light depends on the chemistry of resin used. The light activated resin remains liquid form in normal light but when the light of a particular wave length is focused, the resin turns into a hard material which remains tight inside the cavity of tooth. Liquid form of resin helps to prevent the formation of air bubbles during filling.
This article is from http://www.zeta-dental.com.au/article-636-Curing-Light-Technique-is-Widely-Used.html
