3 Critical Factors for Successful Bonding

Many variables can affect the final outcome of a resin restoration: the technical difficulty of the restoration, the quality of the preparation, and the resin composite materials chosen, to name a few. The impact on the longevity of the restoration that a curing light can have is often overlooked, but choosing the correct curing light is essential.

In a recent study1, the following factors were identified as the most critical factors affecting direct restorative success:

1. Proximity to the restoration

Direct access to the restoration allows the maximum amount of the curing light’s energy (emitted light) to better reach and polymerize light-cured materials. VALO’s 5°, slender head design ensures complete and direct access to achieve this maximum cure. 

        at left, VALO.  At right, competitor's contra-angle light guide.

2. The type of light emitted from the curing light

Science has supported the use of curing lights with broad spectrum wavelengths that cure all light-cured dental materials. Numerous curing lights on the market fail to include multiple wavelengths or simply don’t achieve uniform irradiance of their multiple wavelength LEDs. VALO’s proprietary, 4-color LED pack offers even dispersion and the most uniform, multi-wavelength light available in an LED curing light, to ensure a complete final cure.

3. The amount of energy actually delivered to the resin

Manufacturer’s claims give us a general idea of what different curing lights may be capable of, but in most cases technique, proximity, true clinical environments, and even the type of resin being used can affect the amount of energy that is effectively delivered to cure the resin. VALO’s accessibility, along with its efficiently delivered high power modes result in the required amount of energy delivered to the resin for complete curing, within the shortest amount of time.

“Undercuring the resin adversely affects its physical properties, reduces bond strength, increases marginal wear and breakdown, decreases biocompatibility, potentially increases DNA damage resulting from leachates and increases bacterial colonization of the resin. Equally undesirable is the delivery of too much energy to the tooth, which may cause thermal damage to the pulp and exposed oral tissues. Therefore, it is essential to establish a method for accurately quantifying the energy delivered by a curing light to a dental restoration under clinically relevant conditions. It would then be possible to determine the effects of operator technique, choice of curing light and position of the estoration on the amount of energy that the resin actually receives.”1

1 Price RBT, Felix CM, Whalen JM. Factors affecting the energy delivered to simulated Class I and Class V preparations. J Can Dent Assoc. 2010; 76: a94. Read the study - http://www.jcda.ca/article/a94

Ultradent’s VALO is the choice for successful curing, every time.

• Optimally collimated, uniform beam
• Broadband curing capabilities
• Sleek design, ergonomic body
• Available Corded or Cordless

For further information, please contact your Gunz Dental sales representative or a member of our friendly customer service team on (NZ) 0800 30 10 10 or (AU) 1800 025 300 or contact.