Oral Health and Dental Management

Abstract

A Comparison of Properties of Restorative Composite Resins Cured with Quartz Tungsten Halogen (QTH) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) Light Curing Units: An Invitro Study

Kunwarjeet Singh , Nidhi Gupta , Dax Abraham , Susan Dax , Aparna Singh

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to compare the different properties of restorative composite resin cured for specific period of time with conventional quartz tungsten halogen and light emitting diode light curing units. Material and methods: Sixty specimens of standard dimensions (4mm in diameter and 8mm in length) were made from transparent polyester sheets. The specimens were divided into three groups and each specimen was filled with light cure composite resin (Esthet X, Dentsply) and cured with QTH and LED light curing units for 40 seconds. The comparative evaluation of compressive strength, surface hardness and depth of cure were done with Instron machine, Vickers hardness testing machine and standardized scrapping methods described in the ISO standard for resin based composite, ISO 4049: 2000, respectively. Results: Statistical analysis of the data demonstrated a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the compressive strength and depth of cure of restorative resin cured with QTH and LED light curing units but there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the surface hardness at the illuminated surface of the composite resin cured with QTH and LED light curing units. Conclusion: Careful selection of the light emitting diode light curing units having intensity equal or greater than conventional quartz tungsten halogen light curing units is very important to achieve desirable results, keeping in mind the certain advantages of LED as compared to QTH for the polymerization of composite resin