Curing Lights - REALITY Publishing Company

Transcription

Curing Lights
REALITY’S CHOICES
Halogen
1.
Optilux 501
sds/Kerr
2.
Swiss Master
EMS
3.
Coltolux 75 Color Talk
Coltene/Whaledent
4.
Demetron LC
sds/Kerr
5.
Spectrum 800
Dentsply/Caulk
6.
Elipar 2500
3M ESPE
LED
1.
L.E.Demetron 1
sds/Kerr
2.
bluephase
Ivoclar Vivadent
3a
Allegro
Den-Mat
3b.
SmartLite iQ
Dentsply/Caulk
3c.
Ultra-Lume LED 5
Ultradent
4a.
Elipar FreeLight 2
3M ESPE
4b.
Radii
SDI
5.
The Cure
Spring Health
Plasma Arc
1.
Sapphire
Den-Mat
©2005 REALITY Publishing Co. Vol. 19
The Ratings
251
Curing Lights
Halogen
Cost
Warranty
Loaner
Program
Watts
Life
(hours)
Bulb
Cost of
Replacement
Base Unit
Needs Tools
to Change
Height
Depth
Width
6.5in/
16.5cm
10.0in/
25.4cm
Optilux 501
sds/Kerr
$1,333.35
2 Years
No
80
45
$60.00
Yes
8.5in/
21.5cm
Swiss Master
EMS
$2,900.00
1 Year
No
340
30
$67.40
No
12.0in/
30.5cm
12.0in/
30.5cm
12.0in/
30.5cm
Coltolux 75
Color Talk
Coltene/Whaledent
$804.48
1 Year
Yes
75
15
$53.22
Yes
8.5in/
21.5cm
10.0in/
25.4cm
6.0in/
15.2cm
Demetron LC
sds/Kerr
$650.00
1 Year
No
80
80
$60.00
Yes
5.0in/
12.7cm
6.0in/
15.2cm
12.0in/
30.5cm
Spectrum 800
Dentsply/Caulk
$997.30
2 Years
Yes
75
100
$68.10
No
8.0in/
20.5cm
9.5in/
24.0cm
8.0in/
20.5cm
Elipar 2500
3M ESPE
$905.60
2 Years
Maybe
through
local sales
rep.
75
23
$92.60
No
8.25in/
21.0cm
5.5in/
14.0cm
9.0in/
22.9cm
$3,795.00
1 Year
Yes
N/A
1,000
$695.00
No
10.5/
26.7cm
17.0in/
43.2cm
6.25in/
15.9cm
Plasma Arc
Sapphire
Den-Mat
Heat Generation
Gun
Built-In
Timer
Weight Radiometer in Gun
Halogen
Optilux 501
sds/Kerr
8.8oz/
Yes, Digital
249.5g
Swiss Master
EMS
17.3oz/
Yes, Digital
490.4g
Ramp/Step Bleach
Mode
Mode
Timer PreSets (sec)
Fan Cooling Time
After Light Deactivates
Tip
20 seconds–2.5 minutes
(varies with curing time)
8mm Turbo
11mm
Contact
2mm
No
Yes,
Programmed
Ramp
Yes
10, 20,
30, 40
No
Yes,
Programmed
Ramp/Step
Yes
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Water-cooled, no fan
Glass
Plastic
57.4
67.0
49.8
51.6
41.6–50.1 35.2–46.7
16.9–27.0 24.4–30.0
Coltolux 75
11.0oz/
Color Talk
311.8g
Coltene/Whaledent
No
No,
voice
prompts
No
No
Voice
10, 20, 30,
40, 50, 60
0.0–2.5 minutes
(varies with curing time)
8mm
11mm
26.5
27.7
29.5
23.7
Demetron LC
sds/Kerr
7.9oz/
224.0g
No
No
No
No
No
1.75–2.25 minutes
8mm
11mm
11mm Turbo
31.4
16.8
21.3
26.8
13.4
15.6
Spectrum 800
Dentsply/Caulk
8.2oz/
Yes, Digital
232.5g
Yes
Yes, Manual
Step
No
10, 20, 30,
40, 50, 60
5–6 minutes
8mm
8.5mm Turbo
11mm Turbo
17.2
25.9
25.5
23.7
31.2
31.1
7.5oz/
212.6g
No
No
No
No
23 seconds–2 minutes,
varies with curing time
8mm
13mm
19.7
24.8
20.0
24.7
Yes
Yes
Yes
3, 5, 7, 9
None
9mm
12mm
52.0
34.8
65.2
46.3
Elipar 2500
3M ESPE
No
Plasma Arc
Sapphire
Den-Mat
252
5.3oz/
Yes, Digital
150.3g
The Ratings
Curing Lights
Tip sizes >7mm
Halogen
No.
of
Tips
Mftr
RRL
Bond Strength
to Dentin
Gingival Increment
Hardness (Knoop)
Hardness at 2mm
Cure Time
(seconds)
Cure Time
(seconds)
Cure Time
(seconds)
Power Loss %
<Gain>
per Location
Between 1mm
from
center
and edge edge
Peak Power
(mW/cm2)
10
20
40
10
20
40
10
20
40
24.0
22.8
19.7
24.3
24.0
31.5
28.2
26.4
29.6
30.5
33.8
31.9
31.6
32.7
33.5
25.3
28.6
26.2
29.4
25.5
34.0
30.3
32.6
30.3
34.1
35.6
35.0
37.0
36.9
34.2
26.5
29.7
28.7
23.7
23.1
30.8
34.5
32.7
29.9
32.1
37.1
38.7
41.1
39.6
32.5
6
2
4
Regular Boost
Mode Mode
Optilux
501
sds/Kerr
8
600
819
697
806
675
8
8 Turbo+
11
11Turbo
13(curved)
7.9
7.4
10.1
10.5
11.8
14
7
4
17
28
51
41
51
51
72
11mm Glass
11.0
<13>
<11>
1,650
6.4 16.0 23.0 22.3 27.4 31.9 28.6 32.4 31.7 34.9 41.2 45.8 7.9 13.7 16.2 20.8 25.4 36.6
11mm
Plastic
11.1
<3.5>
0
1,775
7.2 17.9 22.9 25.0 29.9 31.8 26.6 30.6 31.5 31.5 40.6 46.5 7.2 11.9 28.2 30.8 32.9 41.4
717
972
789
756
781
2
3
4
5
10
3
5
6
10
2
3
4
5
6
10
Swiss
Master
EMS
2
Coltolux
75
Color Talk
Coltene/
Whaledent
4
8
11
13
7.5
10.1
11.8
7
7
19
16
53
63
814
793
818
24.2
18.9
21.5
28.8
28.3
25.6
27.0
27.5
28.7
26.5
30.3
26.7
32.1
31.8
27.4
32.4
37.1
37.3
23.7
26.3
29.5
29.1
27.6
34.8
34.7
35.1
34.8
Demetron
LC
sds/Kerr
8
8
8 Turbo+
11
11 Turbo
13 (curved)
7.9
7.4
10.1
10.5
11.8
22
17
31
18
43
39
43
74
51
80
583
833
683
825
692
18.5
26.6
20.7
23.2
22.9
27.0
29.2
29.0
30.9
21.9
28.0
31.1
33.7
32.5
23.9
31.6
36.9
34.4
35.5
29.2
35.8
40.4
37.3
38.0
35.2
42.1
45.3
40.1
40.7
38.1
31.8
29.7
27.1
28.1
24.1
33.6
33.9
28.7
37.7
26.8
38.5
41.2
36.9
41.1
38.0
Spectrum
800
Dentsply/
Caulk
7
8.6
8, 60°
9.0
8.5 Turbo
13.2
11 Turbo
13 (curved) 11.2
30
18
20
23
45
46
67
80
583
800
592
767
21.8
23.2
19.1
24.4
21.7
27.2
25.2
28.6
27.0
30.2
26.9
29.7
22.0
31.3
26.3
34.7
32.3
39.0
32.7
43.0
31.8
46.7
34.2
45.4
24.6
27.7
22.5
32.5
32.3
35.3
31.4
43.1
34.5
42.4
29.7
44.6
Elipar
2500
3M ESPE
3
7.1
11.5
11
23
24
80
608
631
20.2
22.0
25.1
27.1
30.9
31.8
27.4
29.9
27.6
29.4
36.6
32.1
25.1
24.8
26.6
28.9
31.1
29.6
8
13(curved)
Plasma Arc
Sapphire
Den-Mat
3
9
12
8.7
12.0
7
22
23
64
1,142
794
5
10
5
10
5
10
20.4
18.3
26.2
20.5
21.6
21.4
32.4
25.6
20.6
9.3
22.2
21.0
The Ratings
253
Base Unit
LED
Loaner
Program
Does it cure all
materials?
Handpiece/
Gun Weight
Height
Depth
Width
5.1in/
13.0cm
(with battery)
5.5in/
13.9cm
5.5in/
13.9cm
Cost
Warranty
L.E.Demetron 1
sds/Kerr
$1,366.65
2 Years
(1 Year for
battery pack)
Yes
No
12.6oz/
358.5g
bluephase
Ivoclar Vivadent
$1,350.00
2 Years (1 year
for battery)
No
No
9.9oz/
280.7g
6.5in/
16.5cm
7.75in/
19.7cm
5.5in/
14.0cm
Allegro
Den-Mat
$1,495.00
1 Year
Yes
No
13.6oz/
385.6g
3.5in/
8.9cm
7.0in/
17.8cm
5.75in/
14.6cm
SmartLite iQ
Dentsply/Caulk
$1,230.00
2 Years (1 year
for battery)
Yes
No
9.5oz/
269.3g
6.0in/
15.2cm
9.8in/
25.0cm
2.75in/
7.0cm
Ultra-Lume LED 5
Ultradent
$999.00
2 Years
No
Yes
4.2oz/
119.1g
N/A
N/A
N/A
No
7.6oz/
215.5g
7.5in/
19.1cm
8.5in/
21.6cm
3.75in/
9.5cm
Elipar FreeLight 2
3M ESPE
$1,417.50
2 Years
Maybe
through local
sales rep.
Radii
SDI
$695.00
2 Years
Yes
No
5.2oz/
160.2g
8.25in/
21.0cm
6.0in/
15.2cm
3.5in/
8.9cm
The Cure
Spring Health
$499.00
1 Year
No
No
2.4oz/
67.6g
N/A
N/A
N/A
Built-In
Timer Ramp/Step Bleach Timer PreMode
Mode Sets (sec)
Radiometer in Gun
LED
Fan Cooling Time
After Light
Deactivates
Heat Generation
Tip
Contact
2mm
42.7
23.8
32.5
34.8
28.0
23.8
47.5
1.5
8mm Turbo
11mm
11mm Turbo
30 seconds
55
1.0
8mm Turbo
10mm
44.4
21.0
43.4
32.1
5, 10,
15, 20
30 seconds
49
1.5
Glass
Acrylic
25.1
31.8
31.0
29.7
No
10,
15, 20, 30,
40
No fan
146
0.2
8mm
8.5mm Turbo
11mm Turbo
7.8
15.1
12.7
9.1
13.4
9.7
No
No
10, 20,
30, 40
No fan
N/A
N/A
Integral
51.1
52.5
Yes
Not in U.S.
Outside
U.S.—yes
No
5, 10,
15, 20
No fan
41
2.0
8mm Turbo
13mm
31.4
19.7
27.0
23.2
Yes,
Lights
No
No
No
None
No fan
60
2.0
Integral Demetron
8mm Turbo
Demetron 11mm
32.6
15.8
15.9
18.4
9.7
9.2
No
No
No
No
None
No fan
N/A
N/A
Integral
40.5
41.5
L.E.Demetron 1
sds/Kerr
Yes,
Lights
Yes
No
No
None, Deactivates
10, 20, 40
with Light
bluephase
Ivoclar Vivadent
Yes,
Lights
Yes
Yes
No
10, 20, 30,
40, 120
Allegro
Den-Mat
Yes,
Digital
Yes
No
No
SmartLite iQ
Dentsply/Caulk
Yes,
Lights
Yes
No
Ultra-Lume LED 5
Ultradent
No
Yes
Elipar FreeLight 2
3M ESPE
Yes,
Lights
Radii
SDI
The Cure
Spring Health
254
Battery
Curing Recharging
Time (min) Time (min)
The Ratings
Curing Lights
Tip sizes >7mm
LED
No.
of
Tips
Mftr
Bond Strength
to Dentin
Cure Time
(seconds)
Power Loss %
<Gain>
per Location
Gingival Increment
Hardness (Knoop)
Cure Time
(seconds)
Hardness at 2mm
Cure Time
(seconds)
RRL
Between
center &
edge
1mm
from
edge
Peak Power
(mW/cm2)
10
20
40
10
20
40
10
20
40
7.9
7.4
10.1
10.5
11.8
2
0
4
3
3
25
18
29
24
52
525
900
600
800
625
23.1
25.4
25.8
24.8
23.9
26.8
30.7
27.8
28.6
26.2
29.4
33.2
32.4
33.1
30.8
29.7
29.3
31.2
32.0
27.9
38.5
38.5
38.9
40.2
32.6
41.5
42.4
40.4
42.1
39.9
29.4
32.3
25.5
31.1
24.4
32.5
40.9
37.4
40.0
40.2
37.0
47.5
41.5
46.5
43.8
3.4
<2.0>
5.7
13.7
8.1
14.6
14.8
43.8
675
1,200
750
775
20.0
21.3
18.4
20.1
22.5
23.5
25.3
23.4
32.7
34.5
35.5
31.5
38.7
36.1
33.3
31.8
38.5
41.4
34.4
31.7
46.4
42.5
44.5
37.5
22.7
30.1
21.5
24.6
31.4
36.8
30.8
30.5
33.3
43.1
30.5
34.7
742
950
24.0
24.7
34.3
32.0
36.3
34.5
33.9
22.0
37.6
32.0
42.8
34.5
30.0
20.8
32.4
31.1
40.6
35.0
L.E.Demetron 1
sds/Kerr
8
8
8 Turbo+
11
11 Turbo
13 (curved)
bluephase
Ivoclar Vivadent
5
8
8 Turbo
10
13
7.8
8.2
10.0
13.0
Allegro
Den-Mat
3
8 Acrylic
8 Glass
7.9
7.3 x 6.8
<5>
<3>
<2>
<18 >
10x14 Acrylic
9.9 x 13.9
L: 10
W: 11
20
27
475
23.9
27.6
34.6
22.8
26.6
37.0
18.8
21.9
29.6
8.8
9.0
11.2
13.5
<5.6>
<8>
<1.5>
<17.5>
<9.2>
17.6
29.3
55.1
400
700
580
400
15.2
20.6
18.8
14.1
21.5
24.1
25.3
19.2
26.6
27.4
31.4
24.3
27.0
33.4
28.7
19.4
38.0
37.4
35.1
30.4
38.0
39.0
41.4
40.9
15.9
26.1
19.5
20.2
26.5
27.7
28.0
23.1
32.0
38.2
36.8
29.3
SmartLite iQ
Dentsply/Caulk
7
8
8.5 Turbo
11 Turbo
13
Ultra-Lume LED
5
Ultradent
7
13 x 10
11.4 x 6.9
L: 42
W: 21
L: 99
W: 99
983
23.3
30.2
35.3
27.1
35.6
36.1
30.4
30.9
40.4
Elipar FreeLight
2
3M ESPE
3
8 Turbo
13
7.9
12.2
15.3
3.6
42.3
28.3
758
542
24.8
25.6
28.4
29.2
31.8
30.8
31.5
27.7
41.2
32.3
41.9
35.4
31.5
23.5
43.2
25.7
48.4
30.8
Radii
SDI
1
Integral
11mm Demetron
7.2
10.1
12
3
81
85
842
575
30.1
27.0
34.1
29.0
35.0
34.3
24.8
23.1
37.7
35.7
36.8
36.7
26.1
24.4
34.8
33.5
37.4
37.6
The Cure
Spring Health
1
8
8.5
1
30
1,105
28.8
31.7
33.0
28.4
38.1
40.2
28.8
36.9
39.4
Curing lights allow us to initiate the polymerization reaction “on
demand” for a vast array of materials. However, there is, perhaps,
more misinformation and hype regarding this type of equipment
compared to just about anything else we use on a daily basis. Most
of these controversies center on how long you have to cure specific types of restorations as well as how deep you can cure specific
types of materials. If you undercure a restoration, for example, you
may not even be aware of the negative sequelae for years. Using a
light that produces very high levels of energy also continues to be
a topic for discussion. Therefore, selecting a curing light and using
it properly can greatly affect the performance and longevity of
your restorations.
Types of Curing Lights
Halogen Use a halogen bulb as the source of light.
+ Most common
+ Least expensive
+ Reliable
+ Long track record
+ Available in corded and cordless models
+ Should cure all materials
+ Wide bandwidth (400nm-510nm)
– May be slower than plasma arc and argon lasers
The Ratings
255
Curing Lights
Plasma Arc Bulb is really an aluminum oxide, high pressure vessel, which contains highly energized xenon gas (plasma) under
150psi. The inside shape is specific to reflect light arcing between
two electrodes. Arc is only about 1mm long, enabling a very
focused beam.
+ Very fast
– Expensive
– Larger than halogen
– May not cure all materials
– Tips are usually too small for most restorations
– Cords may be liquid-filled, may be stiff, and can degenerate
over time
Argon Laser Light generated when energy is applied to an atom
raising an electron to a higher, unstable energy level. Electron will
return to stable level by releasing light through a medium of
argon gas.
+ Fast
– Very expensive
– Larger than halogen
– Tips are usually too small for most restorations
LED (Light Emitting Diode) Special diodes (an electronic device
that restricts current flow chiefly to one direction) that emit light
when connected in a circuit.
+ Available in cordless and corded
+ Light in weight
+ Small
+ Long battery life due to the low power usage
+ Virtually no heat generation at the tip
– Relatively limited track record
– Most have poor selection of tips
– Power output variable
Curing Modes
High or Boost Usually the highest power the light will generate.
Achieves this power within a few seconds of activation and maintains the power during the entire curing interval. Typically
synchronized to a timer that has a 10-second (or even less) curing
interval, which may not be adequate for many restorations.
Regular or Normal If a light has a high or boost mode, the regular or normal mode will be set at a power level somewhat lower.
If a light does not have different power levels, then the regular
mode will be the highest power level.
Adhesive or Low Touted as a safer energy level for curing adhesives that presumably do not require the high power used for
composites and cements. It presumably is safer since this mode
produces less heat.
Step Cure at low power (usually about 150mW/cm2) for 10 seconds, followed by an instant “step up” to a much higher power
(usually maximum of light) for the rest of the curing interval.
256
The Ratings
Ramp Start curing at low power (usually about 150mW/cm2), followed by a linear increase to a higher power (usually maximum of
light) for 10 seconds, and then stay at that high level for the rest
of the curing interval.
Pulse Has different meanings for different lights, but usually
means either the power cycles between high and low every second
or so or the power cycles on and off every second or so from the
beginning of curing.
Our tests were unable to detect any significant differences in microleakage in Class II
restorations from the so-called “low stress”
modes, such as step, ramp, or pulse. And,
after bulk curing a packable composite in a
Class I preparation using two “low stress
modes”, one regular mode from a halogen
light, and one regular mode from a plasma
arc light, we were not able to detect any differences in marginal integrity, stain uptake,
enamel crazing, or the infamous “white
line” formation at enamel margins, as
viewed under a stereomicroscope at 50x.
Curing Power, Cure Times, and Radiometers
More power, as measured by a radiometer, presumably means we
can cure materials in less time, more deeply, or both. Since no one
likes to sit at the chair holding the light for at least 40 seconds per
increment, for example, high-powered lights that presumably permit fast curing have generated extensive interest within the
profession. In addition, the less time you spend curing a restoration, the more income you can realize.
However, the marketing of power being emitted by curing
lights is becoming just as frenzied as the horsepower race in cars.
Unfortunately, there is very little evidence that an extremely high
power output by a curing light will increase its true performance.
This again is similar to cars, where big boosts in horsepower only
allow vehicles to drop their “0-60” times fractions of a second,
which may be important on the race track, but has no relevance to
everyday driving practices.
We have already found that “turbo” tips, despite their higher
radiometer readings, do not perform superiorly to conventional
tips. The next step is to test whether there is a discrete maximum
amount of power for a curing light to emit to allow it to optimally cure light-activated materials. If there is a limit, then any power
over it will be wasted and could potentially injure a tooth due to
heat generation.
Then there is the issue of the accuracy of the radiometers being
used today. While we had been using an industrial class of
radiometer that we believed was more accurate than the relatively
simple and inexpensive type used to screen curing lights (see
LIGHT METERS), the results we recorded were questioned by
several manufacturers. Since the company who manufactures the
radiometer we had been using was not able to resolve the issues
Curing Lights
concerning the performance of its instrument, we have chosen to
discontinue its utilization when it comes to peak power readings.
Instead, the peak power readings in this edition were recorded on
the L.E.D. Radiometer, which we found provides consistent
power readings for all types of lights despite its name.
Tests
1. Time to reach peak power. If you are only curing for 10 seconds, but it takes your light five seconds to achieve high power,
then you are really only curing for five seconds. For the halogens and LEDs, we tested this peak power over 20 seconds. For
the plasma arcs, 10 seconds was the test period.
2. Power from different tips. Peak power produced by each tip
in the most commonly used modes for each light.
3. Tip mapping. The power emitted from the face of curing tips
is typically highest in the center and decreases as you get closer
to the edge. To show this effect, we mapped the power of all
tips >7mm, using three setpoints: exactly in the middle, midway between the middle and the edge, and 1mm from the
edge. If you are curing a large restoration and you are depending on the edge of the tip to cure critical areas like a veneer
margin, you may be unknowingly undercuring.
For example, the mesiodistal width of a MOD preparation
in a mandibular first molar may be 11mm. If you are using an
11mm tip, the power at its edges may not be strong enough to
fully cure the marginal ridges. So, if you see fractures in these
peripheral areas, it may be due to the restorative material not
being cured properly to maximize its physical properties. Using
a tip too small could also cause brown lines at margins of
veneers due to undercured resin cement. Large restorations
would be better served in most instances by curing with a
13mm tip, which overlaps the restoration margins by several
millimeters.
4. 10-minute curing test. Power level was tested over 10 minutes
of continuous curing (reactivating the lights as necessary) for
halogen and LED lights and over 2.5 minutes for plasma arc
lights. This is roughly the amount of time you would cure if
you were luting 6-10 veneers at one time and were curing them
from both the facial and lingual. If your light cannot maintain
a steady output over this time period, then the restorations at
the end of the line may not be fully cured.
5. Hardness @ 2mm. Hardness of TPH Spectrum at 2mm depth
was tested after it had been placed in a modified Class II preparation in a real tooth model, using a conventional metal matrix,
and cured with all halogen and LED lights for 10, 20, and 40
seconds or plasma arc lights for 5 or 10 seconds. This hardness
was measured on the proximal surface. This test will show you
how well the composite is cured at the depth of a typical increment using the different curing times and tips.
6. Hardness @ gingival wall. The hardness of TPH Spectrum
placed no thicker than 2mm on the gingival wall of the proximal box 6mm from the tip of the light was determined after
curing with all halogen and LED lights for 10, 20, and 40 seconds or plasma arc lights for 5 or 10 seconds. This test will tell
you which curing interval was able to achieve the highest hardness, indicating the composite is more thoroughly polymerized,
when the tip of the light has a significant distance between it
and the restorative material.
7. Bond strength. A 2mm increment of TPH Spectrum with the
tip of the light 6mm from the surface of the specimen was
cured with all halogen and LED lights for 10, 20, and 40 seconds or plasma arc lights for 5 or 10 seconds. This test will tell
you whether the power of the light can affect bond strength
when the distance between the tooth and tip may be a variable.
8. Does it cure all materials? Especially for LED lights, two resin
glazes are cured for 40 seconds after being applied to an unpolished composite surface. After wiping off the uncured material,
the gloss created by the resin glazes was compared to that when
the glaze was cured with a halogen light. If the gloss created by
the LED light is less than that created by the halogen, it can
then be assumed that the LED has a narrow bandwidth and
will not be capable of curing all materials.
9. Unit Consistency. We tested the power of different units of the
same light. This will tell you if the manufacturer has an effective quality control system and, if you buy multiple units,
whether they will all perform at the same level.
10. Heat generation. We tested the heat produced using the highest power mode and several tips (including turbo versions if
available) for all the lights and compared this reading with the
heat from the alternate modes (if available) such as Adhesive.
This will tell you which lights have a higher potential to cause
pulpal problems due to heat. This heat generation was measured directly on the tip to simulate when you are stabilizing the
tip in contact with the tooth and at a distance of 2mm to see
how much the heat dissipates with the tip slightly off the tooth.
Are there Negative Effects of Fast Curing?
Fast curing has been accused of putting too much stress on the
bond of a restoration to the tooth. If you apply too much light to
a restorative material, it will presumably shrink more quickly,
opening gaps at the tooth-restoration interface, causing white
lines and microleakage. High power has also been accused of
inducing cracks in thin porcelain veneers. To test these issues, we
performed Class I & II microleakage studies, plus one with
porcelain veneers:
Class I White Lines and Microleakage
Eleven different curing protocols using five different lights and
four different restorative materials were investigated as to whether
any variables could be isolated to predict the incidence of white
lines at the margins and/or microleakage. We found that, while
there is a general association between white lines and microleakage, it is not consistent across composite materials and curing
protocols. In other words, there are too many other variables to
merely conclude that if you eliminate the white lines, you will also
eliminate microleakage.
Class II Microleakage
The same 11 different curing protocols and five different lights
were used as in the Class I study, but with this project, we used
three different flowables on the gingival wall and investigated as to
whether any variables could be isolated to predict the incidence of
microleakage. We found that neither the curing light nor the curing protocol produced any statistically significant differences in
microleakage.
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257
Curing Lights
Veneer Crazing and Microleakage
Porcelain veneers, standardized to 0.7mm in thickness, were
bonded to teeth using either a halogen light for 60 seconds or a
plasma arc light for 15 or 30 seconds. The results showed no craze
lines in any veneers when viewed under the stereomicroscope at
10x, both before and after thermocycling and staining. In addition, with margins at the CEJ, all the microleakage scores were
very low, signifying no differences between the lights.
Heat Generation with High-Powered Lights
While we have not conducted tests in this area, there is no credible evidence to cause us any concern. This may be due to the short
cure times used with these types of lights. However, these lights
are capable of generating high levels of heat. If you are curing a
restoration with a high-powered light (or really any light) and the
patient complains of pain, stop curing for a moment to allow the
pain and temperature to dissipate. Then complete the curing
cycle, again intermittently if the pain returns.
Components
Base Unit Typically sits on the counter in the treatment room
and includes the electronics that operate the light. It usually has
the timer (but not always), some type of holder for the gun or
wand, and the power switch. Since counter space in treatment
rooms is usually at a premium, the smaller base units are favored.
Timers should be easily seen and accessible for changing. The gun
or wand holder should keep these items secure, but allow easy
placement and retrieval at the same time.
Gun Houses the light bulb (in most halogen types), fan (in most
halogen types), trigger, and portal for the tips. A gun should be
comfortable to hold. Even though most are not excessively heavy,
some assistants may not be able to take the gun from you with
their “pinky” finger, so instrument transfer can be difficult. Some
guns still get very warm (even downright hard-to-handle hot)
when they are activated for more than a minute or two. To try to
compensate for this heat generation, most lights have extra powerful and sometimes noisy fans. Some lights even cut off after a
certain period for cooling. In addition, some of the fans blow hot
air into your face and/or make the immediate treatment area
uncomfortably hot.
Never turn off a curing light while the fan is still
running — it will overheat. Always allow the fan
to cool the light. Once the fan stops running, the
light can safely be turned off.
Wand Usually found with the plasma arc or argon lasers,
although the latest generation of the former now have guns. Also
the design used for some LED lights. While they are much lighter
than guns for most halogen lights, their activation mechanism for
plasma arcs is typically a magnetic ring encircling the base of the
wand. To activate the light, you slide the ring backward. Even
258
The Ratings
though this is not a difficult maneuver, it takes a somewhat awkward hand movement to accomplish it. Activating the trigger on a
gun is an easier and more comfortable movement. Wands on LED
lights are typically buttons.
Tips Four tips, all curved at roughly 60˚, should be sufficient for
the vast majority of procedures. A 2-3mm tip is useful for tacking
down indirect bonded restorations such as veneers, inlays, onlays,
and crowns. However, only the 2mm tips can routinely fit into
proximal boxes for curing closer to the gingival wall.
Unfortunately, this may not be of much value unless you overlap
the cure areas, taking as much or even more time than if you used
a conventional tip and just extended the cure.
A general purpose 8mm tip is used for routine, small to moderate-sized restorations, while an 11mm tip is necessary for
moderate to large posterior restorations. Finally, a 13mm tip will
be necessary for veneers, onlays, and crowns. The key in tip selection is to make sure that it actually extends beyond the outline of
the entire restoration, so that multiple cures overlapping each
other will not be necessary.
Note that the size of the tips as listed by the manufacturer is
not necessarily the diameter of the light curing portion. For the
most part, the diameter of tips as stated by the manufacturer is
usually the external dimension. But this is misleading, since most
tips have a protective covering that reduces their useable area by
about 1mm. We measured all the tips and listed the real dimension of their curing area in each product’s commentary.
The tips should be autoclavable for optimal sterility and swivel to allow positioning the light for maximal curing, but not overly
loose so they won’t stay in the intended position.
Note that some lights come with different types of protective
shields that fit over the end of the tip or mount on various locations of the tips. These shields are meant to protect our eyes from
the curing light. While these devices can be convenient and do not
require any additional hands to hold them, they can also be cumbersome to use and difficult to switch from tip to tip. In addition,
they are not universal in their protection. For example, the larger
shields may interfere with getting your light tip close to a second
molar. In addition, they provide no protection when curing the
linguals of the anterior teeth. We recommend the use of handheld
shields to protect your eyes from the light generated by these
units.
It is especially important to keep the tips clean and free of
adherents. Composite sticking to tips is a common problem. Any
adherents will interfere with the light’s curing ability, so the face of
the tip should be checked after each use. Be careful when cleaning
the tips — they are easily scratched.
Battery Chargers With the explosion of cordless LEDs, these
devices have become very prominent. For the products that have
removable batteries, these chargers may assume the role of the base
unit, although there may still be a separate holder for the gun or
wand. For the models that do not have removable batteries, the
charger also functions as the base unit. All of the chargers have
various lights to let you know when the battery is fully charged as
well as radiometers of some sort. However, these radiometers may
not always be accurate.
Curing Lights
Footpedals Some plasma arc and argon lasers can be activated via
a footpedal. However, footpedals add clutter to the floor in the
treatment room and, in general, have been replaced by the magnetic rings mentioned under Wands or by guns.
Testing and Maintenance
Measure the power baseline for your light when it is new using a
radiometer and remeasure it on a weekly basis. For halogen types,
if there is a significant decrease in output, change the bulb. If that
There are several manufacturers that have followed the lead of Kerr/Demetron in providing
some type of hardness disc to verify that the light
will cure a specific thickness of composite in a specified amount of time. You are supposed to fill a
small hole in the disk with the composite, cure it
for a specified time period, and then turn over the
disk to check whether the cured composite “feels"
like the disk when scratched with an explorer or
other sharp instrument. If it does, then this presumably indicates the composite is adequately
cured for intraoral use.
However, this is a dangerous test that could give
you false and misleading information. Consider
what we found with the Demetron Hardness
Tester, which is essentially a round white plastic
disk with three holes. We filled the three holes in
the disk with our test composite and cured each
composite specimen 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or 40
seconds. We then turned over the disk and tested
the bottom of each cured composite disk as well as
the Hardness Tester itself for Knoop hardness.
Finally, we asked three of the RRL staff to scratch
the bottoms of the specimens with a sharp explorer and compare the “feel” to that of the Hardness
Tester.
The results of this test were:
doesn’t help, try a different curing tip. If it still does not register an
adequate reading, try cleaning the tip and filter with a kit designed
for that purpose. If all your remedies are not successful, you
should send the light back to the manufacturer for a check-up.
Even with this testing, it is prudent to send your lights back to the
manufacturer at specific intervals, such as every 24 months or after
five bulb changes, whichever comes first. This type of maintenance will keep your curing light in top condition and allow it to
deliver maximum power.
2. The Knoop hardness scores were:
Hardness Tester (disk)
35.4
5 second cure
10 second cure
40 second cure
15.5
23.3
42.6
These results show that it is not possible to distinguish the polymerization level of a composite
merely by scratching the surface of its cured bottom surface and then comparing it to some known
standard, which may not be applicable to the test
in any event. We advise using these types of tests
as a screening device, but do not rely on them for
definitive polymerization guidance.
1. None of the RRL staff were able to distinguish
a difference in hardness between the cured composite and the plastic surface of the Hardness
Tester. This should have indicated that all the
specimens were cured to the same hardness,
which matched that of the Hardness Tester.
The Ratings
259
Curing Lights
Basic Curing Guidelines
While the trend to shorten curing times seems to be unstoppable, our results and those from
other researchers point toward some inevitable conclusions:
1. With all the various types of lights and materials on the market, it is virtually impossible to
come up with one protocol, especially one featuring reduced curing times, across the
board.
2. It is still prudent to limit the thickness of your increments to 2mm unless you are using a
deep-curing core material.
3. With hybrids, flowables, and packables, 20 seconds with a halogen or LED light seems to
be the reasonable compromise between speedy 10 seconds and sluggish but optimally
effective 40 seconds. This is due to the fact that an adequate depth-of-cure may not be
achieved in 10 seconds with all shades and applications. A 20-second cure gives you a
measure of safety. With a plasma arc, 5 seconds may suffice for noncritical situations, such
as curing a provisional restoration, but 10 seconds is better for any definitive restoration.
However, if you are curing a deep restoration, reverting to 40 seconds, at least for the first
increment, seems prudent when using a halogen or LED.
4. With microfills, rapid curing appears to be very risky. Our results point toward no less than
40 seconds with a halogen or LED and 20 seconds with a plasma arc. However, be aware
of heat generation with plasma arcs—20 seconds of contact with a tooth may cause pulpal injury.
5. Don’t cure right up to the edge of your tip. Make sure your tip overlaps the margins of
the restoration.
6. Even though some studies show alternate curing modes to be helpful, our tests and the
anecdotal clinical results from our Editorial Team suggest straight curing is still the mode
of choice.
260
The Ratings
Curing Lights
Halogen
Optilux 501
sds/Kerr
(4.7)
Cost: $1,333.35
Includes:
• 8mm Turbo+ tip
• 11mm conventional tip
• Protective shield
• Built-in light meter
• Wall mounting hardware
Optional and replacement tips:
• 2mm: $138.35
• 4mm Turbo: $190.00
• 8mm: $138.35
• 8mm Turbo+: $231.00
• 11mm: $190.00
• 11mm Turbo: $233.35
• 13mm (curved): $242.60
• Tip Holder: $46.35
Best tips
Durability and quality
Expensive
No controls in the gun
Base Unit
Off-white plastic, still contemporary, but its high tech gizmos
deserve an updated case that reflects the advanced electronics. The
right half of the front surface is dedicated to the gun bracket,
which is a cradle extending forward. Placing the gun back into the
cradle is easy and can be done with the gun facing in either direction.
The left side of the front surface is the soft touch control pad
and built-in digital light meter. At the top of this control pad is
the aperture for the light meter. The aperture, 7mm in diameter,
has exactly the same design as that on the Optilux Radiometer,
with its concentric rings allowing the precision testing of different
size curing tips 7mm or larger. Directly below the aperture is the
LCD digital display screen, which has several functions.
When you turn on the unit the display will read “E0,” with the
“E” meaning elapsed lamp time and the number (0 when new)
will start counting up to 99 in 1 hour increments. This will tell
you how many hours you’ve used the light, with the knowledge
that the bulb is rated at 45 hours. After five seconds, the elapsed
time will change to “CCC,” which means the light is in the continuous curing cycle mode. The bottom half of the touchpad has
four different curing interval selection switches, plus four other
switches for different functions. Due to the flat design of the
touchpad, it can be covered with an adhesive barrier for asepsis.
The left side has the illuminated power switch while a carrying
handle is built into the top of the unit. The rear of the unit has
three very small switches. The first is a rotary type that controls
the type of beeps that the unit will emit. For example, one position of this switch allows you to have the unit beep at 10-second
intervals while another setting lets you change it so that it will
REALITY’S
CHOICES
1
Replacement bulb
Cost: $60.00
What if it needs repairs? Contact
sds/Kerr at 1-800-KERR-123.
Bulb life: 45 hours
Is there a loaner program? No.
Bulb wattage: 80
Warranty: 2 years.
Excludes bulb and tips.
beep when you activate the trigger, beep every 20 seconds, and
beep when the light goes off. In all, you have five options for the
beeping function. Unless you have very small fingers, you’ll need
a small screwdriver to rotate this knob. Directly below the beep
control is a black button that you push when you change the bulb
to reset the elapsed time counter.
The last switch, located to the right of the beep control, is an
up-and-down slide switch that lets you make the beep loud or soft.
The up position, marked HI, gives a loud beep, while the down
position is LO, giving a softer beep. In addition, the beep is louder when the light is activated than when it deactivates. The fuse
box as well as the wall-mounting bracket is also located at the rear
of the unit.
The cord from the base unit to the gun, which connects on the
right side of the base unit, is straight, lightweight, and easily cleaned.
Size of base unit (including cords and the gun with a
tip inserted)
Height
8.5in/21.5cm
Width
10.0in/25.4cm
Depth
6.5in/16.5cm
Gun
Well-designed, with the trigger in a convenient location on the
inside of the handle near your index finger. It does not take much
finger movement or pressure to activate the light. You can interrupt the curing cycle by pressing the trigger again. There is a beep
when you activate the light and a second beep when the light goes
off (if you select this beep option). Weighs 8.8oz/249.5g.
Fan
The strong but noisy fan activates as soon as you push the trigger
and keeps the handle cool even after 10 minutes of continuous
use. But the fan, which is located at the back of the gun, can blow
warm air in your face with the gun in certain positions. The fan
also stays on for a period of time in proportion to the length of
time the light was activated after the light goes off. For example,
after our 10-minute test, the fan stayed on for 2.5 minutes. If you
use the light for 10 seconds, the fan will stay on for 20 seconds
The Ratings
261
Curing Lights
after the light goes out, curing for 20 seconds, the fan will stay on
for 30 seconds, and curing for 40 seconds, the fan will continue
cooling the unit for 50 seconds.
Timer
Four of the eight touchpad switches are dedicated to the preset
curing times of 10, 20, 30, or 40 seconds.
Tips
Most of the regular tips are metal-wrapped (one type of 8mm is
glass), but the Turbo tips are all glass. The 2mm tip will fit into
most proximal boxes.
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
8mm
8mm
7.9
7.9
14
14
51
51
8mm Turbo+
11mm
11mm Turbo
13mm (curved)
7.4
10.1
10.5
11.8
7
4
17
28
41
51
51
72
Power and Curing Modes
Besides the four time intervals, there are four other modes: C
(continuous), R (ramp), B (boost), and Bleach. You can switch
from one mode to another by pushing the appropriate switch on
the control panel. The mode you have chosen will then be illuminated. In the 10-minute cure test using the continuous mode,
there was only a slight drop of power from the beginning to the
end of the test. It achieved full curing power within three seconds
of activation.
C (continuous cure) When you use this mode, the light will stay
on continuously up to 999 seconds (16.65 minutes), beeping
every 20 seconds (assuming the switch on the back is set in that
position). During this continuous curing, you don’t have to count
beeps since the digital display will do the counting for you in seconds. When you hit the trigger of the gun to deactivate curing, the
total cure time remains on the display until the fan goes off. So,
you no longer have to remember if you cured for 30 or 40 seconds.
Once the fan goes off, the display reverts to the continuous cure
mode.
R (ramp) Power starts at 179mW/cm2 and goes up to peak power
during the first 12 seconds, then continues curing at the high level
until 20 seconds is up.
B (boost) 10 seconds at peak power.
Peak Power (mW/cm2)
Tip size
Mode
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
Regular
Boost
600
717
819
972
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
697
789
806
956
675
781
Bond Strength to Dentin Using OptiBond Solo plus and TPH
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
24.0
31.5
33.8
22.8
28.2
31.9
19.7
26.4
31.6
24.3
29.6
32.7
24.0
30.5
33.5
Gingival Increment Hardness (Knoop)
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
25.3
34.0
35.6
28.6
30.3
35.0
26.2
32.6
37.0
29.4
30.3
36.9
25.5
34.1
34.2
Hardness (Knoop) at 2mm Using TPH Spectrum A2
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
10
20
40
26.5
30.8
37.1
29.7
34.5
38.7
28.7
32.7
41.1
23.7
29.9
39.6
23.1
32.1
32.5
Heat Generation
°C
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
Regular
Regular
Bleach
Bleach
8mm Turbo+
11mm
8mm Turbo+
11mm
41.6
16.9
50.1
27.0
2mm
20s
35.2
24.4
46.7
30.0
Built-In Radiometer
Digital display. Will fit any size of tips from 7mm and larger.
Operated by placing the tip over the aperture and activating the
light. The reading will appear after a delay of a few seconds. If you
want to test another light with this meter, you would have to activate the Optilux 501 first, as the meter doesn’t work when the
light is not activated. This is also the only digital radiometer which
we have evaluated that will measure power over 1,000mW/cm2.
Bleach 30 seconds at peak power.
Changing the Bulb
Loosen the two screws on the back of the gun with a screwdriver
and the handle comes off very easily. However, we would still prefer a method of changing the bulb without requiring an extra tool
like a screwdriver.
262
The Ratings
Curing Lights
Directions
Plain paper booklet in four languages. All the functions are fully
described. Has 16 black and white photos on different functions
and maintenance items. States that curing time can be decreased
in the boost mode, but does not give any specific recommenda-
tions. Also tells you to use the supplied hardness disk to determine
curing time, but our tests suggest that this is not a reliable technique and could mislead you to think you have properly cured a
material when you really have not.
Swiss Master
EMS
(4.4)
2
NEW
Cost: $2,900.00
Includes:
• Curing light
• 2 boxes of disposable 11mm plastic tips (11 ea)
• 1 sterilizable 11mm glass tip
• Light protective goggles
• 1 btl of preserving agent (25ml)
Replacement bulb
Cost: $67.40
Bulb life: 30 hours
Bulb wattage: 340
Warranty: 1 year
What if it needs repairs? Contact your local dealer.
Is there a loaner program? No
The hands-down power winner
Why bother with plasma arc?
Very expensive
Heat could hard boil an egg
Base Unit
Off-white plastic accented by a metallic silver plastic control panel
featuring an LCD screen in the middle. Very contemporary
appearance. You have two options for the gun bracket: attached to
the base unit or stand-alone. If you choose the attached version, it
can be mounted either on the right or left side of the base unit
very easily by merely inserting the metal support arm into notches behind the front section after removing the water reservoir (see
below). The bracket itself has a plastic base and polished metal cradle partially covered in black rubber. Retrieving and replacing the
gun into this bracket is very easy despite the fact that the cradle
holds the gun quite securely. An additional cradle also inserts into
a stand-alone, weighted base.
The control panel dominates more than half of the front of the
unit, which has a slight tilt backward. On the left and below the
LCD are round, polished chrome-like buttons that control the
main functions such as switching from fast cure to ramp mode to
bleach mode and increasing or decreasing the curing time. The
aperture for the built-in, digital radiometer is directly to the right
of the LCD.
When you turn on the unit, there is a brief audible series of
tones and flashing lights followed by a grinding-like noise that the
display tells you is the pump activating. Then the display reverts
to the setting you were using before the unit was turned off. While
the buttons controlling the functions are not soft touch, they can
still be covered with an adhesive barrier for asepsis.
The top half of the back houses the water reservoir for cooling
the unit (see Fan). This removable reservoir is translucent blue
plastic with an off-white, removable plastic top. The electrical
connection and power switch reside at the bottom. The top has a
built-in handle, although the weight of this unit (19.0lbs/8.6kg)
will discourage most users from moving it from room to room.
The cord from the base unit to the gun, which is on the bottom right area of the front surface, is straight, quite robust, and
easily cleaned.
Size of base unit (including cords, the gun with a tip
inserted, and gun holder attached)
Height
12.0in/30.0cm
Width
12.0in/30.0cm
Depth
12.0in/30.0cm
Gun
Well-designed, two-toned with the top section being off-white
and the contoured handle being gray. Your hand fits into a cradlelike recess formed by the top section of the gun and the handle to
help you support its fairly large size and weight (17.3oz/490.4g).
The trigger, cloaked in a blue rubber-like material, is in the usual
place inside the handle; activating it requires moderate pressure to
The Ratings
263
Curing Lights
activate the light. You can interrupt the curing cycle by pressing
the trigger again. There is a beep when you activate the light and
a double beep when the light goes off.
Fan
There is no fan. Instead, the unit is water-cooled to more effectively dissipate the high heat produced by the 340 watt bulb. The
aforementioned water reservoir, which needs to be filled 75% with
distilled water, is the source of the coolant. You are supposed to
change this water once a month and add a preservative to eliminate microbial growth, but one of our evaluation units did not
have the water changed for over one year nor was the preservative
added. While we did not test the water from this unit microbiologically, it certainly appeared clean and unchanged when we did
empty and refill the unit, a process which is fast and easy anyway.
The somewhat noisy pump that circulates the water through
the cord and coils that encircle the bulb activates instantly when
the trigger is pushed and stays on for about 30 seconds after most
curing cycles are completed, although if you use the light for
extended curing, the pump will continue to run for about 2.5
minutes. During this time, the gun handle gets warm, but never
hot. The light will run for about six minutes and will then deactivate to allow cooling.
Timer
In some of the preset modes, the curing time can be increased or
decreased by pressing the + or – buttons on the control panel.
Once the light is activated, however, the seconds count up from
zero, so you can see how much time is left in that specific curing
sequence. If you interrupt the cycle before it finishes, the actual
curing time remains on the LCD for about 15 seconds.
Tips
Glass and plastic. Both of these tips are totally clear without any
type of covering on their sides.
Power loss <gain>
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
8mm
11mm
glass
11mm plastic
7.9
11.0
11.1
14
<13>
<3.5>
51
<11>
0
Before using the light, you are supposed to calibrate the power so
you can be sure the light will produce 3,000mW/cm2. However,
this calibration process is not always consistent and is highly
dependent on such items as to whether you are touching the tip
(even the sides) during the procedure. Therefore, the manufacturer now recommends only calibrating the light when the bulb or
gun is replaced.
There are four modes: Fast, Ramp, Slow, and Bleach. You can
switch from one mode to another by pushing the appropriate button on the control panel. The mode you have chosen will then
usually be indicated on the LCD. In the 2.5-minute cure test
using the Fast mode, there was no drop of power from the begin-
264
The Ratings
ning to the end of the test. It achieved full curing power within
two seconds of activation.
Fast When the “Fast Cure” button is pushed, “Fast” is indicated
in the upper left corner of the LCD, with the default curing time
being six seconds at full power: 3,000mW/cm2. This time can be
decreased to two seconds, but it cannot be increased.
Ramp When the “Ramp Cure” button is pushed, “Exp” is indicated in the left side of the LCD, with the default curing time
being 16 seconds. While this mode is called “Ramp”, it is really a
step mode, since power starts at about 200mW/cm2 and stays at
that level for about 12 seconds, after which it jumps up to full
power for the final four seconds.
Slow When the “Ramp Cure” button is pushed twice, “Slow” is
indicated in the left side of the LCD, with the default curing time
being 23 seconds. In this mode, power starts at about 200mW/cm2
and stays at that level for about 16 seconds, after which it rises up
to full power linearly during the final seven seconds.
Bleach When the “Bleaching” button is pushed, there is no indication on the LCD other than the fact that two numbers are
displayed. The first number is the number of teeth being
bleached—this can vary from 1 to 9. The second number indicates
four seconds per tooth, which is the recommended bleaching time
per tooth at full power. There is a beep after each 4-second interval to alert you that you should move the light to the next tooth.
Variable 1 + 2 When the “Variable 1 + 2” button is pushed once,
“Var 1” is indicated in the left side of the LCD, with the default
curing time being 10 seconds at 300mW/cm2. This time can be
increased to 100 seconds or decreased to two seconds. When you
push this button twice, “Var 2” is indicated in the lower left corner of the LCD, with the default curing time being six seconds at
1,500mW/cm2. This time can be increased to 16 seconds or
decreased to two seconds.
Peak Power (mW/cm2) as measured on the LED radiometer
Tip
Power
Glass
Plastic
1,650
1,775
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip size
Cure Time
Glass
Plastic
2
3
4
5
6
10
6.4
16.0
23.0
22.3
27.4
31.9
7.2
17.9
22.9
25.0
29.9
31.8
Curing Lights
Tip size
Cure Time
Glass
Plastic
2
3
4
5
6
10
28.6
32.4
31.7
34.9
41.2
45.8
26.6
30.6
31.5
31.5
40.6
46.5
Tip size
Cure Time
Glass
Plastic
2
3
7.9
13.7
7.2
11.9
4
5
6
10
16.2
20.8
25.4
36.6
28.2
30.8
32.9
41.4
Heat Generation
°C
Tip
Contact
6s
2mm
6s
Glass
Plastic
57.4
67.0
49.8
51.6
Mode
Fast Cure
Fast Cure
Built-In Radiometer
Digital display. Operated by placing the tip over the aperture and
activating the light. The reading will appear after a delay of a few
seconds. When we tested the curing output of the light on this
built-in meter and the LED Radiometer, we found the built-in
readings to be much higher.
Changing the Bulb
Unscrew the back of the gun and slide out the housing of the bulb,
which can then be removed and replaced. Fast and easy.
Directions
116-page book in six languages all printed together across the
page. English is the first column, but following along is cumbersome and distracting. Line drawings go across the page, but are
relatively easy to follow. A section devoted to each language would
have been much simpler and easier to read. There are also two
plastic-laminated guides, one that is essentially a quick glance
guide for installing and using the light and one gives the curing
times for different composites. However, the cure time for TPH
Spectrum was stated to be one second, which is very hard to
believe, while the cure time for 14 other composites was just two
seconds.
Coltolux 75 ColorTalk
Coltene/Whaledent
(4.2)
Cost: $804.48
Includes:
• 8mm tip
• 3 light shields
• 3mm: $128.51
• 8mm: $128.51
• 11mm: $128.51
• 13mm: $203.80
Replacement bulb
Cost: $53.22
Bulb life: 15 hours
Bulb wattage: 75
Warranty: 1 year
Base Unit
Utilizing a narrow, space-saving design, the top section is translucent plastic that is available in five colors (blue, purple, green, red,
and black). The bottom section is white.
The front surface, inclined 45°, has no controls and serves as
the support for the gun handle, which inserts into an enclosed,
round portal at the intersection of the top and rear of the unit.
Placing the gun back into the portal is easy, with the gun facing
rearward, but the handle of the gun does not always rest on the
elevated arm, which protects it from the lower half of the front
surface.
3
your local dealer or return directly to
Coltene/Whaledent.
Is there a loaner program? Yes, for a
minimal charge. Contact
Coltene/Whaledent for details.
Tells you the curing time in five languages
No unnecessary modes or gadgets to confuse you
No radiometer
Changing the bulb is a nuisance
The right side has the illuminated power switch and connection
for the cord to the gun, while the rear of the unit has the power
cord connection. The cord from the base unit to the gun is
straight, medium in weight, and easily cleaned. There is a set screw
on the left side of the unit at the junction of the top and bottom
sections. When this screw is turned clockwise, the voice alerts (see
The Ratings
265
Curing Lights
Timer) get louder, while turning it counterclockwise does just the
opposite.
tip inserted)
Height
8.5in/21.5cm
Width
6.0in/15.2cm
Depth
10.0in/25.4cm
Gun
Well-designed, with the trigger in a convenient location on the
inside of the handle near your index finger. It does not take much
finger movement or pressure to activate the light. You can interrupt the curing cycle by pressing the trigger again. There is one
beep when you activate the light and one beep when you deactivate it. However, the section of the gun that contacts the round
portal is vented, making it somewhat difficult to clean. Weighs
11.0oz/311.8g.
Fan
The strong but moderately noisy fan activates as soon as you push
the trigger and keeps the handle cool even after 10 minutes of continuous use. But the fan, which is located at the back of the gun,
can blow warm air in your face with the gun in certain positions.
The fan typically shuts off immediately when the light deactivates,
but after our 10-minute test, the fan stayed on for 2.5 minutes.
Timer
Instead of beeping, this model lives up to half of its name by
telling you in five languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian,
and German) the elapsed curing time in 10-second intervals up to
60 seconds, when it deactivates. You can change the language by
depressing the trigger before you turn on the unit. The languages
are then stated in a consecutive manner. Once you hear your language of choice, release the trigger.
Should you tire of the voice alerts, you can revert back to beeps,
although there is only one beep, regardless of whether you cure for
10 or 40 seconds, so keeping track of them could be a problem.
After 60 seconds, however, there is a double beep alerting you that
the unit has deactivated.
The female voice itself is pleasant and professional, but in a
humorous manner, has patients wondering “Who said that?”
While the voice alerts are certainly better than the beeps, a timer
with preselected curing times would be a nice option.
Tips
Metal-wrapped with glass tips, except for the 3mm, which is totally encased in metal and will not fit into most proximal boxes.
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
8mm
8mm
11mm
13mm
7.9
7.5
10.1
11.8
14
7
7
19
51
16
53
63
266
The Ratings
Only one mode and one power level. In the 10-minute cure test,
there was a 14%-17% drop of power from the beginning to the
of activation.
Tip size
8mm
11mm
13mm
814
793
818
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
11mm
13mm
10
20
40
24.2
28.8
27.0
18.9
28.3
27.5
21.5
25.6
28.7
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
11mm
13mm
10
20
40
26.5
32.1
32.4
30.3
31.8
37.1
26.7
27.4
37.3
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
11mm
13mm
23.7
29.1
34.7
26.3
27.6
35.1
29.5
34.8
34.8
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
2mm
20s
Regular
Regular
8mm
11mm
26.5
27.7
29.5
23.7
Heat Generation
°C
Built-In Radiometer
None.
Changing the Bulb
Loosen the two screws on the back of the gun, apply pressure on
the release latch on the top, and remove the front section to expose
the bulb, which can then be easily removed and replaced.
Directions
Coated paper booklet in 11 languages, with the English version on
only three pages. All the functions are fully described. Has 17
black and white photos on different functions and maintenance
items, but the booklet and photos depict the basic model, not the
ColorTalk. There is an additional plain paper sheet explaining the
ColorTalk functions.
Curing Lights
Demetron LC
4
sds/Kerr
(4.1)
Cost: $650.00
Includes:
• 11mm Turbo tip
• Protective shield
Affordable price from the leader in curing lights
Durability and quality
Optional tips:
Same as Optilux 501
tip inserted)
Height
5.0in/12.7cm
Width
12.0in/30.5cm
Depth
6.0in/15.2cm
Gun
Virtually identical to the one used in the 501, except the surface
finish on the plastic cladding is textured and non-reflective compared to the 501, which is smooth and glossy. The trigger on this
gun also extends out from the handle more than the trigger on the
501, but it is easily activated and not prone to accidental activation. Since the light does not have an automatic cutoff, you must
interrupt the curing cycle by pressing the trigger again. However,
there is no beep when you activate the light or when you deactivate it. Weighs 7.9oz/224.0g.
Fan
use. But the fan, which is located at the back of the gun, can blow
warm air in your face with the gun in certain positions. It has two
speeds (and noise levels), with the more robust operation occurring during active curing. Once the curing function is deactivated,
the fan also stays on for 1.75-2.25 minutes, but at a lower level.
Bulb life: 80 hours
Bulb wattage: 80
Warranty: 1 year
What if it needs repairs?
Contact sds/Kerr at 1-800-KERR-123.
Counting beeps is a drag
No controls in the gun
Base Unit
Two-toned light and dark gray plastic rectangle, reasonably compact and functional, but certainly not cutting edge design.
Product and manufacturer identification is blue. The cradle-like,
horizontal gun bracket is an integral part of the top of the unit.
Placing and retrieving the gun is easy, with the gun resting horizontally in either direction.
The bottom left side has the power switch. The cord from the
base unit to the gun is straight, lightweight, and easily cleaned.
NEW
Replacement bulb
Cost: $60.00
Tips
Same as with the 501.
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
8mm
8mm
8mm Turbo+
11mm
11mm Turbo
13mm (curved)
7.9
7.9
7.4
10.1
10.5
11.8
14
22
17
31
18
43
1mm
from edge
5139
43
74
51
80
Only one curing mode. In the 10-minute cure test using the continuous mode, there was only a slight drop of power (7%) from
the beginning to the end of the test. It achieved full curing power
within three seconds of activation.
Tip size
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
583
833
683
825
692
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
18.5
27.0
28.0
26.6
29.2
31.1
20.7
29.0
33.7
23.2
30.9
32.5
22.9
21.9
23.9
Timer
Does not have an adjustable timer. Beeps every 10 seconds until
you deactivate it, since it will run for at least 10 straight minutes
without cutting off itself.
The Ratings
267
Curing Lights
Heat Generation
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
31.6
35.8
42.1
36.9
40.4
45.3
°C
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
Mode
Tip
34.4
37.3
40.1
35.5
38.0
40.7
29.2
35.2
38.1
Regular
Regular
Regular
8mm Turbo+
11mm
11mm Turbo+
Contact
20s
2mm
20s
31.4
16.8
21.3
26.8
13.4
15.6
Built-In Radiometer
None.
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
10
20
40
31.8
33.6
38.5
29.7
33.9
41.2
27.1
28.7
36.9
28.1
37.7
41.1
24.1
26.8
38.0
Changing the Bulb
Loosen the two screws on the back of the gun with a screwdriver
and the handle comes off very easily. However, we would still prefer a method of changing the bulb without requiring an extra tool
like a screwdriver.
Directions
Plain paper sheets in 16 languages merely stapled together. Pretty
rudimentary, with the pages appearing to come from a cheap
copier.
5
Spectrum 800
Dentsply/Caulk
Cost: $997.30
Includes:
• 8mm 60˚ tip
• Built-in light meter
• Extra bulb
• Light shield attachment
• Wall mounting bracket
• 3mm 90˚: $144.40
• 8mm 60˚: $144.40
• 8mm 90˚: $144.40
• 8.5mm turbo: $175.00
• 11mm turbo: $175.00
• 13mm 80˚: $262.60
• 13mm straight: $144.40
Timer in gun very convenient and ambidextrous
Manual power settings add to versatility
Changing power settings is cumbersome
Trigger is hard to push
Base Unit
White plastic, totally unique shape, appears smaller than other
high tech lights. The top is dominated by the gun bracket, which
rotates 360˚, giving you the option to place it in just about any
convenient position. Placing the gun back into the bracket is easy
with the gun facing the rear of the unit, even though it can also be
placed in the opposite direction. One evaluator felt the bracket
was flimsy.
The front of the top surface is the soft touch control pad and
the aperture for the radiometer. The aperture, 6mm in diameter,
268
The Ratings
(3.9)
Replacement bulb
Cost: $68.10
Bulb life: 100 hours
Bulb wattage: 75
Warranty: 2 years
5 years on light cord
What if it needs repairs? Send it
to the Caulk Service Center at 1301
Smile Way, York, PA 17402. They
promise a 3-day turnaround. 2-day
shipping is complimentary.
Is there a loaner program? Yes,
call 1-800-LDCAULK or your dealer.
has a similar design to the radiometer aperture on the Optilux
501, with its concentric rings allowing the precision testing of different size curing tips 6mm or larger. To the left of the aperture are
two soft touch switches, one with an up arrow and one with a
down arrow. These are the switches that allow you to change the
power of the light. Due to the flat design of the touchpad, it can
be covered with an adhesive barrier for asepsis.
The left side at the rear has the illuminated power switch. The
cord from the base unit to the gun, which connects on the rear left
side of the base unit, is straight, lightweight, and easily cleaned.
However, the reinforced section of the cord as it enters the bottom
of the handle of the gun restricts the gun from seating in the
bracket totally unless the light is positioned on the edge of the
countertop and the cord hangs freely.
tip inserted)
Height
8.0in/20.5cm
Width
8.0in/20.5cm
Depth
9.5in/24.0cm
Curing Lights
Gun
Well-designed, with smooth, rounded edges for a comfortable
grip. The trigger is recessed and covered with gray rubber to give
it a flat profile. Although it is in a convenient location on the
inside of the handle near your index finger, activating the light
requires much more finger pressure compared to most other
lights. You can interrupt the curing cycle by pressing the trigger
again. There is a beep when you activate the light and a second
beep when the light deactivates either manually or via the timer.
Back of the gun contains the soft touch switch embossed with
a clock to indicate it controls the timer and the LCD screen,
which not only displays the time interval you have selected, but
also the radiometer reading. Weighs 8.2oz/232.5g.
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip size
Cure Time
8.5mm
11mm
(seconds)
8mm
turbo
turbo
13mm
10
20
40
21.8
21.7
27.0
23.2
27.2
30.2
24.4
28.6
29.7
19.1
25.2
26.9
Tip size
Fan
use, although the trigger itself becomes quite warm. The fan also
stays on for 5-6 minutes after the light goes off, irrespective of
your curing time. This long cooling period is annoying.
Timer
Preset curing times of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 60 seconds. You can
also set the timer to 0:00, in which case the light will operate for
two minutes and then cut off. In this mode, you can view the seconds counting up to the two-minute mark on the LCD screen.
Tips
Most of the regular tips are glass, while the 3mm is metal-wrapped
and will not fit into most proximal boxes.
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
8mm
8mm
60º
8mm 90º
8.5mm turbo
11mm turbo
13mm (curved)
7.9
8.6
8.6
9.0
11.2
13.2
Power loss
% per location
Between
center
1mm
and edge
from edge
14
30
17
18
23
20
51
45
44
46
80
67
There are no specific names to the cure modes. You can change the
power of the light from 300mW/cm2 to 800mW/cm2 in
50mW/cm2 increments by placing the tip of the light on the aperture of the radiometer. On the LED radiometer, these readings are
noted below under Peak Power. Activate the light and push the up
or down switch on the base unit while reading the display on the
back of the gun. However, there is no way to know at which power
you are curing unless you check the power on the radiometer. In
the 10-minute cure test, there was a 16% drop of power from
beginning to end. It achieved full curing power almost instantly
after activation.
Tip size
Mode
300
800
8mm
8mm 60º
8.5mm
turbo
11mm
turbo
13mm
7.9
233
583
14
308
800
51
283
767
217
592
Cure Time
8.5mm
11mm
(seconds)
8mm
turbo
turbo
13mm
10
20
40
22.0
32.3
31.8
31.3
39.0
46.7
34.7
43.0
45.4
26.3
32.7
34.2
Tip size
Cure Time
8.5mm
11mm
(seconds)
8mm
turbo
turbo
13mm
10
20
40
24.6
32.3
34.5
27.7
35.3
42.4
32.5
43.1
44.6
22.5
31.4
29.7
Heat Generation
°C
Tip
Contact
20s
2mm
20s
8mm 60º
8.5mm turbo
11mm turbo
17.2
25.9
25.5
23.7
31.2
31.1
Mode
800
800
800
Built-In Radiometer
Digital display on back of gun, aperture on base unit. Will fit any
size of tips from 7mm and larger. Operated by placing the tip over
the aperture and activating the light. The reading will appear after
a delay of a few seconds.
Changing the Bulb
There are two raised lines on the nose cone lined up with raised
closed circles on the gun. Rotate the nose cone clockwise with
your hand. The two lines will now line up with open circles. Once
the nose cone is loosened and removed, the bulb is easily pulled
out of its socket and replaced with a new one. This whole operation is quick and easy, requiring no tools.
Directions
Plain paper manual in 10 languages, with English on seven pages.
Explains all functions well, but curiously, recommended curing
power is only 550mW/cm2.
The Ratings
269
Curing Lights
Elipar 2500
6
3M ESPE
Cost: $905.60
Includes:
• 13mm tip
• 2mm: $184.80
• 8mm: $243.30
• 13mm: $362.30
(3.6)
Wall Mounting Kit
Cost: $15.20
Replacement bulb
Cost: $92.60
Bulb life: 23 hours
Bulb wattage: 75
Warranty: 2 years
Easy to change bulb
Simple function
Boring design
Docking area not user friendly
Base Unit
While it is not offensive, this is an off-white plastic, basic box
without any claims to being high tech. The gun sits in a cutout on
the top near the right side. Placing the gun back into the cutout is
not as easy as other cradles and can only be done with the gun facing left. The cord from the base unit to the gun is straight and
easily cleaned. Can be either wall mounted (kit is extra cost) or
stand alone on a cabinet top. The power switch is conveniently
located on the front.
tip inserted)
Height
8.25in/21.0cm
Width
9.0in/22.9cm
Depth
5.5in/14.0cm
Gun
Conventional design, somewhat large. It does not take much finger movement or pressure to activate the light. You can interrupt
the curing cycle by pressing the trigger again. There is a beep when
you activate the light and a double beep when the light goes off.
Weighs 7.5oz/212.6g.
Fan
The strong but noisy fan keeps the handle reasonably cool even
after 10 minutes of continuous use. But the fan, which is located
at the back of the gun, can blow warm air in your face with the
270
The Ratings
Is there a loaner program?
No formal program established. However, a customer
may contact the local 3M
ESPE Area Sales
Representative, who is generally able to provide a loaner.
During the warranty period,
3M ESPE will repair defects or
replace a defective unit free if
the unit was new when it was
purchased and it is promptly
returned to the following
address: 3M Healthcare
Service Center, Suite 200
Building 502, 3350 Granada
Ave. N. Oakdale, MN 55128.
gun in certain positions. The fan activates along with the light
and, once it has been used several times, stays on for a period of
time in proportion to the length of time the light was activated
after the light goes off. For example, after our 10-minute test, the
fan stayed on for 2.0 minutes. If you use the light for 10 seconds,
the fan will stay on for about 23 seconds after the light goes out,
curing for 20 seconds, the fan will stay on for about 36 seconds,
and curing for 40 seconds, the fan will continue cooling the unit
for about 43 seconds.
Timer
There is no timer. It beeps every 10 seconds.
Tips
All-glass. The 2mm tip will fit into most proximal boxes.
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
8mm
8mm
13mm (curved)
7.9
7.1
11.5
14
11
23
51
24
80
Has only one curing mode. In the 10-minute cure test, there was
a 17%-18% drop of power from the beginning to the end of the
test. It achieved full curing power within two seconds of activation. It will cure continuously for five minutes without needing
reactivation.
Tip
Power
8mm
13mm
608
631
Curing Lights
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Heat Generation
°C
Tip size
Cure Time (seconds)
8mm
13mm
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
10
20
40
20.2
25.1
30.9
22.0
27.1
31.8
Regular
Regular
8mm
13mm
19.7
24.8
2mm away
20s
20.0
24.7
Built-In Radiometer
None.
Tip size
Cure Time (seconds)
8mm
13mm
10
20
40
27.4
27.6
36.6
29.9
29.4
32.1
Tip size
Cure Time (seconds)
8mm
13mm
10
20
40
25.1
26.6
31.1
24.8
28.9
29.6
Changing the Bulb
Merely squeeze two sections on the nose cone and pull it off. The
bulb is then easily accessible. This is very easy and quick.
Directions
Handbook in seven languages, with English being eight pages.
Information is well presented and easily understood, with five
drawings on illustrating how to change the bulb and the various
parts of the light.
Light Emitting Diode (LED)
L.E.Demetron I
sds/Kerr
REALITY’S
www.KerrDental.com (4.6)
CHOICES
1
sds/Kerr at 1-800-KERR-123. TurnIncludes:
around time is two days.
• 8mm Turbo or Turbo+ tip
Is there a loaner program? Yes.
($231.00)
No charge for units under warranty.
• 11mm Turbo tip ($233.35)
• 2 battery packs ($78.35 ea) Shipping charge may apply to units
no longer under warranty.
• Battery charger ($216.70)
• Gun stand ($36.65)
• Protective light shield ($43.35)
Cost: $1,366.65
Optional tips:
Same as Optilux 501
Warranty: 2 years for the gun
and charger, 1 year for the
battery pack.
Accepts all Demetron tips
Exceptional power
Sleep mode a nuisance
Heavy and bulky
Base Unit/Battery Charger
Simple off-white triangle with an extremely small footprint
(5.5in/13.9cm on each side). The battery fits simply and securely
into a simple recess in the middle of the charger. On the front section of the right side is a round aperture for the built-in
radiometer. The battery gauge, located in front of the recess, features three different colored lights to indicate the power level of
the battery: green for fully-charged, yellow for partially-charged,
The Ratings
271
Curing Lights
and red for a fully-discharged (dead) battery. The AC/DC adapter
cord enters the charger at the left side.
Gun
The cordless gun, sheathed in the same off-white plastic as the
other components, has a sleeker, more futuristic design than its
halogen brethren, with about a 125˚ bend. This gun should be
comfortable in most hands, especially since you use a familiar grip
with the trigger easily activated with your index finger on the
inside of the handle.
However, weighing 12.6oz/358.5g (without light-protective
shield) with the battery, it is among the heavier and bulkier products in this category. In addition, the handle is quite long to
accommodate the battery. This elongated handle is somewhat
cumbersome compared to the shorter handles of corded halogen
lights. One evaluator also felt that the position of the trigger
required moving your hand from its initial grip on the handle to
activate the light.
Besides the trigger, the only other control, on the back of the
gun, is a rubberized blue button that doubles as the power switch
for the gun and control for the digital timer. Push the button once
and light is ready to use. Each additional push changes the curing
time. With the long handle, however, several evaluators thought
the button itself could be larger and/or position of the button
could be lower to allow for an easier reach. And just a slight extra
pressure on the button will cause you to skip over some of the curing intervals unintentionally.
The sleep mode, which turns off the gun completely, activates
after about four minutes. However, you can’t awaken it at the same
curing interval you were using before it shut down. To reawaken
it, you need to press the activation button and then reset your preferred curing time, which is a nuisance.
Immediately above the button is a blue triangle that houses the
two battery status lights and the timer’s LCD.
Gun Holder
Off-white plastic with a triangular base. Has no electronic functions. On the top of the rear section of the triangle is a recess, into
which the bottom of the gun handle fits. At the pointed top of the
triangle is a vertical arm that ends with a u-shaped bracket, which
supports the front section of the gun. Considered somewhat
unstable by at least one evaluator.
Size of gun holder (including gun with a tip inserted)
Height
5.25in/13.3cm
Width
5.5in/14.0cm
Depth
12.5in/31.75cm
Battery
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). The blue, removable battery pack
is similar to the type found in cordless hobby drills. After it is fully
charged, you merely slide the battery into the recess in the bottom
of the gun handle. It clicks when it is properly locked in position.
Removing the battery pack is just as easy by grabbing its backend
and pulling it out. A fully-charged battery performs at close to full
power for 47.5 minutes or 285 ten-second cycles before the yellow
battery status light illuminates. It will then run for about another
three minutes or 305 ten-second cure cycles before the red battery
status light begins to glow, indicating a fully-discharged battery.
But since you have a spare battery, you should always be able to
operate the light. To fully recharge a completely dead battery, it
takes about 1.5 hours, although the green battery light did not
illuminate until 1.75 hours had passed since recharging began.
Fan
Very quiet. Activates and deactivates simultaneously with the
light. In the 10-minute cure test, the handle of the gun became
slightly warm.
Timer
The activation button on the back of the gun allows you to scroll
through the curing time options of 10, 20 or 40 seconds. The onoff status as well as the curing interval selected is viewed on the
small LCD screen. After selecting the curing interval and activating the light, the time displayed in the LCD screen reverts to zero
and then begins to count up in seconds to the selected curing
interval. There is also an audible beep every 10 seconds of curing
and at the end of the curing interval, although one evaluator
thought the beeps were not loud enough if other devices such as a
saliva ejector were also being used at the same time.
Tips
All Demetron tips will fit, although the light comes with the 8mm
Turbo+ and 11mm Turbo, which are glass with metal hubs.
Power loss
% per location
There is a supplementary holder that allows it to
fit into a bracket attached to your dental unit.
However, to utilize this bracket, you would need
to have a slot on the your unit that is not already
being used by handpieces, suction devices, and
air-water syringes. There is no wall bracket available at this time.
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
8mm
8mm
8mm Turbo+
11mm
11mm Turbo
13mm (curved
7.9
7.9
7.4
10.1
10.5
11.8
14
2
0
4
3
3
51
25
18
29
24
52
Power and Curing Mode
There is only one power and curing mode. In the 10-minute cure test,
there was no drop of power from the beginning to the end of the test.
It achieved full curing power within three seconds of activation.
272
The Ratings
Curing Lights
Tip
Power
8mm
8mm Turbo+
11mm
11mm Turbo
13mm (curved)
525
900
600
800
625
Does It Cure All Materials?
No.
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
Tip size
8mm
Turbo+
8mm
11mm
Turbo
11mm
13mm
23.1
26.8
29.4
25.4
30.7
33.2
25.8
27.8
32.4
24.8
28.6
33.1
23.9
26.2
30.8
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
29.7
38.5
41.5
29.3
38.5
42.4
31.2
38.9
40.4
32.0
40.2
42.1
27.9
32.6
39.9
Tip size
Cure Time
(seconds)
10
20
40
8mm
8mm
Turbo+
11mm
11mm
Turbo
13mm
29.4
32.5
37.0
32.3
40.9
47.5
25.5
37.4
41.5
31.1
40.0
46.5
24.4
40.2
43.8
Heat Generation
BisCover
Tempglaze
(Left side of each specimen was cured with the
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the L. E. Demetron I.)
Built-In Radiometer
Merely place the tip over the aperture in the battery charger base
and activate the light. The power will be indicated by the illumination of four green lights to the right of the recess for the battery.
Each green light is supposed to represent 200mW/cm2. Therefore,
if all the lights are lit, the light is presumably operating at
800mW/cm2. When we tested the 8mm regular tip, which registered 525mW/cm2, the radiometer had three lights illuminated
indicating at least 600mW/cm2. This difference between these two
readings is negligible. Therefore, this radiometer seems to be reasonably accurate.
Changing the Bulb
There is no bulb to change.
Directions
Plain paper sheets in 16 languages merely stapled together, with
English on two pages. All the functions are fully described, but
there are no illustrations.
°C
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
Regular
Regular
Regular
8mm Turbo+
11mm
11mm Turbo
42.7
23.8
32.5
2mm away
20s
34.8
28.0
23.8
The Ratings
273
Curing Lights
2
bluephase
REALITY’S
CHOICES
Ivoclar Vivadent
(4.5) www.ivoclarvivadent.us.com
NEW
Call Ivoclar Vivadent Customer
Service, at 1-800-533-6825, for a
return authorization number if
still under warranty before sending unit back for repairs.
Send the unit to Ivoclar
Vivadent, 175 Pineview Drive,
Amherst, NY 14228. The amount
of time it takes for a repair
• 2mm 60˚: $212.20
depends on the problem.
• 8mm 60˚: $178.55
• 8mm turbo 60˚: $212.20
• 10mm 60˚: $178.55
• 13mm 60˚: $212.20
Cost: $1,350.00
Includes:
• 1 LED Gun ($950.00)
• 8mm turbo tip
• Charging base unit and cord
attachment ($500.00)
• Protective light shield tip cones
(3)
Warranty: 2 years for the gun
and charger, 1 year for the battery.
Can be used cordless or corded
Lightweight and ergonomic
Fan cuts off when gun is placed in recharger
Inconsistent radiometer
Oval-shaped footprint, off-white plastic with dark gray, translucent plastic insert cradling the gun handle, cool appearance.
Functions as both a base unit and recharger. Includes a radiometer that uses green LEDs. To the right of the gun is the round
aperture for the built-in radiometer. On the gun’s left are two
green LEDs, the bottom of which signifies the light is connected
to a power outlet, while the top one glows steady when the gun is
fully charged and blinks when it is charging. The power cord
enters the charger from the rear.
The removable power pack inserts into a recess in the middle
of the bottom side. If it is removed and mounted on the gun (see
GUN), the base unit’s electronic functions become disabled—it
should then be just a docking station for the gun. However, the
cord from the power pack prevents inserting it in the recess.
tip inserted)
Height
6.5in/16.5cm
Width
5.5in/14.0cm
Depth
7.75in/19.7cm
274
The Ratings
Gun
Primarily off-white plastic (same as base unit), but the blue battery
mounted inside and at the base of the handle gives it two-tone
effect. The controls on the back of the handle are covered with
same dark gray, translucent plastic as the base unit. It has a sleek
appearance, with about a 125º bend. Weighing just 9.9oz/280.7g
with the battery, this gun among the smallest and lightest of those
on the market, although it is still heavier than lights using the
wand or pen design. It has a comfortable “feel”, augmented by the
soft touch trigger on the inside of the handle, which most evaluators found to be quite easy to activate.
Most unique feature, however, is its ability to be used totally
cordless with the battery supplying the power or with the AC
power pack, which is removed from its nesting spot under the base
and then installed directly in the gun handle in place of the battery, converting it to a corded operation.
Press the trigger once and the light “awakens” from the sleep
mode. This action activates the LED display on the back of the
gun. Controlling this display are two vertical up and down arrows
and two horizontal + and – buttons. The vertical controls allow
you to scroll through the three curing modes: high power, low
power, and soft start (sort of part step, part ramp). The horizontal
buttons control the digital timer button. Within the same display
is a battery charge indicator, which is simply a battery showing
shaded increments from empty to full.
The sleep mode, which completely turns off the gun, activates
after slightly more than four minutes. However, the gun also goes
to sleep immediately after docking it in the base unit. While it is
understandable that the gun goes to sleep when it is left out of the
base unit, the purpose for this function while charging doesn’t
make sense. Even though awakening the gun is not difficult, it is
somewhat of a nuisance to have to press the trigger twice, especially if you need to cure a restoration quickly. On the other hand,
at least the mode and time are the same as before it went to sleep.
Curing Lights
The gun sits securely in the base unit and can be retrieved easily when needed, but this retrieval is difficult without touching
and, therefore, contaminating the surface of the base unit. The
manufacturer recommends an aldehyde-free disinfecting solution.
As mentioned previously, you cannot insert the gun into the recess
in the base unit when the power pack is attached.
Battery
Lithium ion battery installs inside the handle of the gun. As noted
previously, the battery can be removed and replaced with the
power pack, which has the same shape. However, be advised that
removing the battery is not a simple matter—it takes considerable
force to accomplish this task. You also cannot charge another battery without the gun so there is no way to have another battery
ready to go if you are currently using the gun. You would have to
have a staff member charge the extra battery when the light is not
being used. On the other hand, if you ever discharge the battery
and don’t have time to allow it to recharge, mounting the power
pack as a replacement will get you operational instantly.
A fully-charged battery performs at full power for about 55
minutes, close to the manufacturer-stated one hour, while fully
recharging a completely dead battery takes about one hour,
although the manufacturer conservatively states it will take two
hours.
Fan
Automatically activated when the gun trigger is pressed.
Moderately loud, it continues cooling for about 30 seconds after
the curing interval, even a short one. Curiously, however, as soon
as you place the gun back into the base unit, the fan immediately
deactivates. There is no prohibition to placing the gun back into
the base unit, but you may want to wait until the fan deactivates
to allow proper cooling of the unit. If the fan is required for cooling and the base’s station deactivates the fan, does this have a
detrimental effect on the life of the gun? On the other hand, the
handle of the gun only became slightly warm during the 10minute cure test.
Timer
10, 20, 30, 40, and 120 second intervals, beeping every 10 seconds. The 120 second interval is a nice feature, especially useful
during the final polymerization of indirect restorations. However,
your selected time is not displayed in the control panel on the
back of the gun—this is reserved for the curing mode—unless you
change the time, in which case the curing interval becomes visible
as you scroll through your choices. Once you select your interval
of choice, it continues to be displayed for only a few seconds. This
means that if you forget which curing interval you selected, you
need to change the time to activate the display. After the light is
activated, the timer counts the seconds in an ascending matter.
There is a beep when activating the light and another one at the
end of the curing interval. The beeps augment the timer, but a
slightly higher volume would be more audible over the noise of
the fan and other ambient treatment room sounds.
Tips
All are glass with a protective orange coating. The hubs are metal,
with the 8mm, 10mm, and 8mm turbo tips having a black coating, while the 2mm and 13mm do not feature this coating. All the
tips fit very securely into the gun—they have an almost snap-in
feature—but removing them requires significant force. Due to
their glass composition, the tips can fracture if dropped.
Demetron tips also fit this gun.
Power loss <gain>
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
8mm
8mm
8mm turbo
10mm
13mm
7.9
7.8
8.2
10.0
13.0
14
3.4
<2.0>
5.7
13.7
51
8.1
14.6
14.8
43.8
There are three modes, each of which is displayed graphically and
with abbreviations of its name in the LCD display on the back of
the gun. The graphic representation is a molar illustration that
suggests which areas of the tooth or portion of a restoration this
particular curing mode should be used as depicted by shading in
these specific areas. One evaluator found it to be somewhat confusing when switching modes and times in the middle of curing a
restoration.
• SOF (soft start) is available to reduce shrinkage stress and
reduce heat build-up during the early stages of polymerization. With the 10mm tip, power starts at 0mW/cm2 and
goes up to 425mW/cm2 after about six seconds. Then it
continues to climb to about 650mW/cm2.
• LOP (low power) is said to minimize heat generated when
close to the pulp. With the 10mm tip, it registered
425mW/cm2.
• HIP (high power).
In the 10-minute cure test, there was only a slight drop in power
from the beginning to the end of the test. It achieved full curing
power within three seconds of activation.
Power
Tip
Corded
Cordless
8mm
8mm turbo
10mm
13mm
700
1,200
750
775
675
1,200
750
775
The Ratings
275
Curing Lights
Bond Strength (MPa) to Dentin Using OptiBond Solo plus
and TPH Spectrum A2
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
Tip size
8mm turbo
10mm
No. Besides resin glazes, it will not cure Effect Color from Heraeus
Kulzer.
13mm
Corded
10
20
40
21.8
23.2
34.5
27.0
30.8
32.9
24.1
32.8
32.2
20.9
29.3
32.1
20.0
22.5
32.7
21.3
23.5
34.5
18.4
25.3
35.5
20.1
23.4
31.5
Cordless
10
20
40
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the bluephase.)
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
Tip size
8mm turbo
10mm
13mm
Corded
10
20
40
35.1
39.1
39.4
27.6
37.7
40.0
36.3
39.4
41.9
27.9
41.0
44.9
38.7
38.5
46.4
36.1
41.4
42.5
33.3
34.4
44.5
31.8
31.7
37.5
Cordless
10
20
40
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
Tip size
8mm turbo
10mm
13mm
Corded
10
20
40
23.7
29.5
35.9
28.6
31.6
42.1
23.4
29.7
33.0
23.0
29.8
33.3
22.7
31.4
33.3
30.1
36.8
43.1
21.5
30.8
35.2
24.6
30.5
34.7
Built-In Radiometer
Merely place the tip over the aperture in the battery charger/base
unit and activate the light. The power will be indicated by the
illumination of up to five green LEDs, with each light presumably equating to 200mW/cm2. This means that if all five lights are
illuminated, the power of the light is supposed to be producing ≥
1000mW/cm2. However, when we checked the peak power of all
the tips, only the turbo version registered over this level, while the
other tips scored lower than 800mW/cm2 but higher than
600mW/cm2. At this power level, only three LEDs should have
been illuminated. Nevertheless, all the tips were able to illuminate
all five green LEDs. We also found other discrepancies between
the power output and the light-based radiometer. Therefore, we
caution you to be wary about the accuracy of the built-in
radiometer.
Changing the Bulb
Cordless
10
20
40
Heat Generation
°C
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
2mm
20s
High
High
Low
Low
8mm turbo
10mm
8mm turbo
10mm
44.4
21.0
17.8
11.7
43.4
32.1
18.5
13.5
276
The Ratings
Directions
Plain paper manual in six languages, with English on the first 15
pages. All the functions are fully described along with 15 photos
or illustrations, making it clear and easy to read. Gives general recommendations for curing of Ivoclar Vivadent products, but none
for materials manufactured by other companies. In addition, a
“soap solution” is recommended to clean the plastic parts, which
would include the gun, but then it states that “liquids must not
enter the handpiece”, which is an apparent contradiction.
Furthermore, under “Technical data”, it states that operating time
is 6 minutes on, four minutes off, while our samples were totally
capable of curing 10 minutes straight.
Curing Lights
Allegro
Den-Mat
(4.0)
www.denmat.com
Cost: $1,495.00
Includes:
• 8mm acrylic tip ($49.95/2)
• 8mm glass tip ($165.00)
• 10mm x 14mm acrylic tip ($49.95/2)
• 2 battery packs ($99.00 ea)
• Battery charger ($199.00)
• 2 pr of light-protected glasses
• 1 protective shield
• 200 test rings
3a
SAMPLING
Tip covers:
No charge.
Warranty: 1 year
Contact Den-Mat at
800-433-6628.
Yes. No charge for units under
warranty.
Stands without an auxiliary holder
Very good timer
Plastic tips are not autoclavable
Heaviest LED
White plastic, box-like device that doubles as the radiometer. The
right half of the top of the unit has a recess into which the battery
is placed for recharging. You merely place the battery in the recess
and push down to seat it all the way. The left side of the unit has
a LED display that tells you the status of the battery charging
process and the aperture for the radiometer. The back of the unit
has the connection for the electrical cord. There is no power switch
—you merely plug it in and the power stays on continuously.
tip inserted)
Height
3.5in/8.9cm
Width
5.75in/14.6cm
Depth
7.0in/17.8cm
Gun
The white plastic cordless gun really has two parts, although they
are contiguous. The top section has an angle from the vertical handle part to the control panel and tip of about 125˚. This gun,
which has dimensions more like a halogen light, should be comfortable in most hands, especially since you use a familiar grip, but
instead of activating the trigger with your index finger on the
inside of the handle, you use your thumb on the outside.
Besides the rubberized blue trigger, the other controls on the
back of the gun include the LED display and two black buttons to
increase or decrease the curing interval. Immediately above these
buttons is another LED that glows green when you have enough
power, yellow when the battery is low, and red when it is out of
power.
The really unique part of the gun is the horizontal “foot”,
which doubles as the battery attachment. To attach the battery,
you merely push it onto the “foot” and to remove it, you push in
the two buttons on both sides of the battery, which releases it from
To conserve battery power, the gun will go into a
sleep mode, but it doesn’t activate until at least
several hours of inactivity elapses.
the “foot”. This “foot” negates the need for a light holder—it
allows the light to stand on its own.
However, weighing 13.6oz/385.6g (without light-protective
shield) with the battery, it is the heaviest of the products in this
category.
Battery
Lithium ion. The dark blue, removable battery pack installs on the
bottom of the gun handle and functions as the “sole” of the “foot”.
After it is fully charged, you merely slide the battery into the recess
in the bottom of the gun handle and is easily removed by depressing the buttons on both sides and pulling it out. A fully-charged
battery performs at close to full power for 49 minutes, although
the first indicator light illuminates at 40 minutes. It then shut off
before it reached 50 minutes. But since you have a spare battery,
you should always be able to operate the light. To fully recharge a
completely dead battery, it takes about 1.5 hours, although the
green battery light did not illuminate until 4.5 hours had passed
since recharging began.
The Ratings
277
Curing Lights
Fan
Very quiet. Activates simultaneously with the light, but deactivates
after 30 seconds, regardless of the curing interval. In the 10minute cure test, the handle of the gun became slightly warm.
Timer
The activation buttons on the back of the gun allow you to
increase or decrease the curing time options of 5, 10, 15, or 20
seconds. The curing interval selected is viewed on the small LED
screen. After selecting the curing interval and activating the light,
the time displayed on the LED screen then begins to count down
in seconds to the selected curing interval. If you stop the curing
interval before it elapses, the timer stops so you can see how long
you cured. There is only a reasonably audible beep at the end of
the curing interval, not at the beginning or along the way.
Tips
Clear acrylic and black-coated glass. Since light is visible along the
entire length of the acrylic tips, flexible black opaque covers can
be used as auxiliary eye protection. However, these tips are not
autoclavable. The glass tips are black and are autoclavable.
Power loss <gain>
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
8mm
8mm
acrylic
8mm glass
10 x 14mm acrylic
7.9
7.9
7.6
9.9 x 13.9
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
14
<5>
<3>
L 10
W 11
51
<2>
<18>
20
27
There is only one power and curing mode. In the 10-minute cure
test, there was an 11% drop of power from the beginning to the
of activation.
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
acrylic
Tip size
8mm
glass
10x14
10
20
40
33.9
37.6
42.8
22.0
32.0
34.5
22.8
26.6
37.0
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
acrylic
Tip size
8mm
glass
10x14
10
20
40
30.0
32.4
40.6
20.8
31.1
35.0
18.8
21.9
29.6
Heat Generation
°C
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
Regular
Regular
8mm glass
8mm acrylic
25.1
31.8
2mm
20s
31.0
29.7
No.
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the Allegro.)
Peak Power (mW/cm ) as measured on the LED radiometer
2
Power
Tip
Contact
2mm
8mm acrylic
8mm glass
10 x 14mm acrylic
742
950
475
700
773
408
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
278
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
acrylic
Tip size
8mm
glass
10x14
10
20
40
24.0
34.3
36.3
24.7
32.0
34.5
23.9
27.6
34.6
The Ratings
Built-In Radiometer
and activate the light. The power will be indicated by the reading
on the LED digital display. The reading will appear instantly.
When we tested the curing output of the light on this built-in
meter and the LED Radiometer, we found the built-in readings to
be about 7% higher. It appears that this built-in radiometer is calibrated to a different standard and readings from it cannot be
compared to those from other radiometers. It should be used simply as a check on the degradation of the light bulb, which is really
the purpose of all radiometers.
Changing the Bulb
Curing Lights
Directions
Plain paper manual, nine pages, five photos and illustrations. All
the functions are fully described. Gives general recommendation
about placing 2mm increments of composite, but then tells you to
use the curing test rings included with the light. However, this is
risky and somewhat misleading, since it is not possible to ascertain
the cure status of a material by merely seeing if it is hard.
SmartLite iQ
Dentsply/Caulk
(4.1)
www.caulk.com
Cost: $1,230.00
Includes:
• 1 LED Gun ($779.95)
• 8.5mm turbo tip
• Charging base unit ($259.95)
• Protective light shield
• 3mm 90˚: $144.40
• 8mm 60˚: $144.40
• 8mm 90˚: $144.40
• 8.5mm turbo: $175.00
• 11mm turbo: $175.00
• 13mm 80˚: $262.60
• 13mm straight: $144.40
3b
NEW
Call Donna Sirkis, Caulk
Customer Service, at
1-800-532-2855, ext. 334, for
a return authorization number before sending unit back
for repairs. Send the unit to
Dentsply/Caulk, 38 W. Clarke
Ave., Milford, DE 19963.
The amount of time it takes
for a repair depends on the
problem.
Yes. Call Caulk Customer
Service for details.
Warranty: 2 years for the gun and
charger, 1 year for the battery
Off-white plastic, oval-shaped footprint, curvaceous profile.
Functions as both a base unit and recharger. Includes a radiometer that uses colored LEDs. At the base of the vertical section is the
round aperture for the built-in radiometer. In front of the aperture
are three different colored lights to indicate the power level of the
unit. The power cord enters the charger from the rear.
tip inserted)
Height
6.0in/15.2cm
Width
2.75in/7.0cm
Depth
9.8in/25.0cm
Gun
Cordless, off-white plastic with a contemporary shape, about a
120º bend, and does not have a fan. Weighing just 9.5oz/269.3g
with the battery, this gun is smaller and lighter than most major
competitors using similar designs. Because of its rather diminutive
size and weight, it should actually feel more comfortable than
competing units, although the soft touch trigger on the inside of
the gun could be easier to activate and the handle was considered
thicker than ideal. The only other controls are the digital timer
buttons on the top of the gun, behind and lateral to the display
Lightweight
Possibly best battery life of all
Will not cure full veneer case—overheats too
quickly
Cooldown period variable and unpredictable
panel. These buttons, which are really up and down arrows, are
merely depressed to set the timer. Unfortunately, even operators
with large hands will not be able to reach the timer buttons if the
gun is held in the position to activate the trigger.
The LCD display is a small window on the top of the gun. It
displays the timer interval selected as well as the charge status of
the battery.
Immediately in front of the display is a small round LED that
also indicates the status of the battery. Blinking green means it is
charging, while solid green means it has a full charge, amber
means it should be recharged after using, and red means it should
be recharged before using. If no light illuminates, you probably
have not placed the gun properly in the base.
The Ratings
279
Curing Lights
To conserve battery power, the gun is supposed to
go into a sleep mode (actually, it turns off completely) if it isn’t used for more than 10 minutes.
However, two of our units taken off the recharger
without any activation did not enter the sleep
mode for over one hour. Another unit, however,
did go to sleep in about 10 minutes. When you
press the trigger, you will awaken the gun with the
timer in the same position it was in when it went
to sleep.
In addition, there is a rubber gasket in the front end of the gun
where the tips insert. This gasket tore and actually dislodged at
least two times during our tests. And the light shield has a ripplelike effect that is distracting if you are looking through it to keep
the light in proper position for curing.
Battery
Lithium ion battery installs inside the handle of the gun. Unlike
some other lights, this battery is not removed for charging.
However, to access the battery for replacement, the gray plastic
section on the inside of the gun handle is removed. While this is
not terribly difficult to perform, you would not want to have to
do it everyday. A fully-charged battery performs at close to full
power for an incredible two hours and 26 minutes, even though
the manufacturer states you get about one hour and 45 minutes,
while fully recharging a completely dead battery only takes about
12 minutes, although the manufacturer states it will take 30 minutes.
Fan
None. The handle stays cool, but the front end of the gun can get
slightly warm before it shuts off.
Timer
10, 15, 20, 30, and 40 second intervals, in addition to a continuous mode, which will activate for 60 seconds, beeping every 10
seconds. If you select one of the timed intervals, the seconds will
count down from that interval, while the seconds count up with
the continuous mode. There is also an audible beep at the beginning of activation and a double beep at the end of the curing interval.
Tips
All are glass with metal hubs, except the 3mm tacking tip, which
is metal and covered with black rubber. Unfortunately, several tips
were broken when the boxes in which they were shipped were
opened. And tips that are supposed to be identical were not. For
example, none of the four 8.5mm turbo tips we were sent had the
same profile, although the width of the area encasing the fiber
optic bundles is 13.3mm at the back end and 9.0mm at the front
end, slightly larger than advertised.
280
The Ratings
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter
(RRL)
8mm
8mm
8.5mm turbo
11mm turbo
13mm (curved)
7.9
8.8
9.0
11.2
13.5
Power loss <gain>
% per location
Between
center
1mm
and edge
from edge
14
<5.6>
<8.0>
<1.5>
<17.5>
51
<9.2>
17.6
29.3
55.1
There is only one power and curing mode. We could not perform
the 10-minute cure test, since the light will deactivate after about
3.75 minutes from a cold start. However, after it cuts off due to
the heat build-up, it will only reactivate for varying periods
depending on the cooling interval, which also varies from about
six minutes and longer. It achieved full curing power within three
seconds of activation.
Tip
Power
8mm
8.5mm turbo
11mmturbo
13mm (curved)
400
700
580
400
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
10
20
40
15.2
21.5
26.6
Tip size
8.5mm
11mm
turbo
turbo
20.6
24.1
27.4
18.8
25.3
31.4
13mm
14.1
19.2
24.3
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
10
20
40
27.0
38.0
38.0
Tip size
8.5mm
11mm
turbo
turbo
33.4
37.4
39.0
28.7
35.1
41.4
13mm
19.4
30.4
40.9
Cure Time
(seconds)
8mm
10
20
40
15.9
26.5
32.0
Tip size
8.5mm
11mm
turbo
turbo
26.1
27.7
38.2
19.5
28.0
36.8
13mm
20.2
23.1
29.3
Heat Generation
°C
Mode
Regular
Regular
Regular
Tip
Contact
20s
2mm
20s
8mm 60º
8.5mm turbo
11mm turbo
7.8
15.1
12.7
9.1
13.4
9.7
Curing Lights
No.
Built-In Radiometer
and activate the light. The power will be indicated by the illumination of a green, yellow, or red light immediately above the
recess. The green light means it is curing at full power, which was
confirmed on the L.E.D. Radiometer, while the yellow and red
lights mean compromised performance. However, if you are
recharging the light daily, you may never even reach the amber status, let alone the red one.
Changing the Bulb
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the SmartLite iQ.)
Directions
Plain paper manual in 10 languages, with English on eight pages.
All the functions are fully described along with 12 illustrations,
making it clear and easy to read. However, it was not mentioned
how long it takes for an overheated unit to cool down and be usable
again. Gives general recommendations for curing Dentsply products, but none for materials manufactured by other companies.
Ultra-Lume LED 5
(4.0)
Ultradent
www.ultradent.com
3c
Cost: $999.00
Includes:
• 5 Standard curing lenses ($19.99/20)
• 1 ProxiCure tip ($19.99/4)
• 1 PointCure tip ($19.99/4)
• 1 orange TransLume tip ($19.99/4)
• 1 green TransLume tip
• 1 surface bracket with tape ($4.99)
• 10 disposable barrier sleeves ($24.99/250)
• ProxiCure Ball: $19.99/2
• Endo Guide: $39.99/2
Warranty: 2 years
What if it needs repairs? Contact Ultradent at 1-800-552-5512.
Is there a loaner program? No.
Base Unit
None. Wand is attached to an electrical cord that plugs directly
into an outlet.
Wand
Cream-colored plastic, having a length of 7.75in/19.7cm and
diameter of 0.3in/6.5mm (at its midpoint lengthwise), weighing
4.2oz/119.1g. Designed for a pen grasp, the top of the wand
includes the controls and indicator LEDs for the timer. The first
control (from the tip) is the soft touch activation trigger. Next are
Only LED that cures all materials
Good timer
Activation button not as easy to operate as a
trigger
Difficult to tell when you are in the correct
position over tooth
The Ratings
281
Curing Lights
the LEDs signifying the curing time selected. Then comes another soft touch button that allows you to change the curing interval.
The slim design makes holding it like a handpiece possible and
mounting it in a bracket on your dental unit means easy access
despite the cord. However, it is still bulkier than a typical curing
light tip, making it more cumbersome to use on the lingual when
the patient has a narrow mandibular arch.
With the activation button being elevated, it is quite easy to
find it (without looking); it requires only moderate pressure to
activate, but still not quite as easy as a trigger in a conventional
gun unit, especially since the hand position is much different than
the typical pistol grip.
The underside of the wand at the end has the integral LEDs.
The cord is straight, easily cleaned, and very lightweight.
ProxiCure tip has a cone-shaped extension, but unlike the tacking tip, whose extension has a blunt, circular end, this cone ends
in a point. However, although it is meant for curing proximal
boxes, we found it to be too large to fit into even a medium-sized
proximal box.
ProxiCure Ball tip also has a cone-shaped extension, but the
point of the cone is cut off and replaced with a rod-like extension
that has a ball on its end. The rod extensions are about 5.0mm
long, while the diameters of the balls are two sizes: small is 2.1mm
and large is 3.0mm. These balls are essentially contact formers.
Since these tips are new, we have not yet tested them clinically, but
the concept behind them is logical.
Battery
None. Operates on AC power.
TransLume transillumination tips that look identical to the
PointCure except for the colored plastic. They come in orange and
green—we prefer green.
Fan
None. In the 10-minute cure test, it became very warm, bordering
on hot.
Endo Guide tip has the same basic configuration as the
PointCure, but the extension is about 12mm and has a slight bend
at its half-way position. This is designed for retrograde fillings.
Timer
Allows you to increase or decrease the curing time in 10 second
intervals from 10-40 seconds. As you increase or decrease the curing time, there are beeps for each 10-second interval change.
There is also a “tacking mode”, that allows you to cure briefly to
tack indirect restorations and/or cure resin cement to a gel consistency for easy removal. To access this mode, you depress both the
timer and activation button together and then release the buttons
simultaneously. The timer indicator LEDs flash in this mode.
When the timer button is activated, you are able to scroll through
the 1-4 second time intervals one second at a time. To return to
the normal mode, repeat the activation procedure and it will cancel this mode.
Tips
Ultra-Lume 5 gets its numerical nomenclature from the four small
LEDs arranged around one larger one at the end of the tip.
Measuring the coverage of this oval tip can be interpreted several
different ways. The LEDs are actually round, but the section of
the tip that they illuminate measures 11.4mm long by 6.9mm
wide. It also has a metal collimator that restricts the light emission
beam to some extent.
Regardless of how much coverage it has, the size and shape of
the tip makes it difficult at times to be sure you have positioned
the light properly over the restoration. This is especially true when
you are trying to cure the distal of the last molar in the arch that
has also been clamped to retain a rubber dam—the size of the
head and 90° angle do not allow good illumination of this area.
Besides the clear covers, there are several other tip covers for
specific purposes:
PointCure tip has a cylinder-shaped center extension, with the
end being 2.5mm in diameter. The entire cover has a black opaque
insert that restricts the light to just the end of the cone. This simulates a 2-3mm tip for tacking down different types of indirect
restorations.
282
The Ratings
Dimensions
Manufacturer
RRL
13 x 10mm
11.4 x 6.9mm
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
8mm
Length
Width
7.9
Between
center
and edge
1mm
from edge
14
42
21
5199
99
There is only one power and curing mode. In the 10-minute cure
test, there was a 26% drop of power from the beginning to the end
of the test. It achieved full curing power within three seconds of
activation.
983
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Cure Time (seconds)
10
20
40
23.3
30.2
35.3
Cure Time (seconds)
KHN
10
20
40
27.1
35.6
36.1
Curing Lights
Cure Time (seconds)
KHN
10
20
40
30.4
30.9
40.4
Heat Generation
°C
Contact
2mm
51.1
52.5
Built-In Radiometer
None.
Changing the Bulb
Directions
Coated paper booklet, 98 pages (English on seven pages), 12 languages. All the functions are fully described. Has numerous black
and white photos and illustrations on different functions and
maintenance items.
Yes.
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the Ultra-Lume LED 5.)
Elipar FreeLight 2
(3.9)
3M ESPE
www.3mespe.com
Cost: $1,417.50
Includes:
• 1 curing light w/ battery
• 1 charging base
• 8mm Turbo tip
• 1 light shield
• 1 table holder
• 8mm Turbo: $192.90
• 3mm Proxi: $192.90
• 13mm Max: $346.50
4a
NEW
Send directly to 3M ESPE.
No formal program established. However, a customer
may contact the local 3M
ESPE Area Sales Rep. who is
generally able to provide a
loaner.
Warranty: 2 years. Does not cover
the battery, bulbs, or tips.
Coolest appearance
Only cordless wand with timer
Shortest cure time
Very expensive
Off-white, arch-like stand with a very small footprint that doubles
as the battery charger for the cordless handpiece, which fits securely into a simple recess in the front. On the left side of the front,
there are two LED indicator lights. The top orange light illuminates when the handpiece is in the charger and is being recharged.
The Ratings
283
Curing Lights
If the handpiece is in the charger and the orange light is off, then
the battery is fully charged. The bottom green light is always illuminated and basically just means the base unit is working.
The aperture for the radiometer is located in the middle of the
recess that holds the handpiece. When the handpiece is removed
from the recess, you merely place the tip over the aperture, activate the light, and between 1-5 blue LEDs will illuminate on the
right side of the base unit. Five LEDs mean full power (100%),
while the power decreases along with the lights. There is no other
function to the base unit. There is no power switch—the unit is
always activated as long as it is plugged into an electrical outlet.
The power cord enters the unit at the rear.
Size of base unit (including cords and the wand with
a tip inserted)
Height
7.5in/19.1cm
Width
3.75in/9.5cm
Depth
8.5in/21.6cm
Wand
Long, thin, cordless handpiece-like wand, which is clad primarily
in a satin-finished, titanium-like plastic with a light blue accent on
the inside surface. Weighing only 7.6oz./215.5g and measuring
just 1.2in/3.0cm in diameter, this handpiece will fit into even
small hands. Even though it is nicely balanced, it is quite long at
12in/30.5cm to accommodate the battery. One evaluator thought
that the long, slim profile made it too susceptible to accidental dislodgement unless it was placed away from a heavy traffic area.
Designed to be held in a pencil grasp. The only controls, located on the top side, are the activation button near the tip and the
timer control button, both of which are soft-touch and require
only minimal pressure to activate. There is a beep when the light
is activated and a double beep when it deactivates.
The sleep mode, which completely turns off the wand, activates about 10 minutes after curing. However, the wand also goes
to sleep immediately after docking it in the base unit. While it is
understandable that the gun goes to sleep when it is left out of the
base unit, the purpose for this function while charging doesn’t
make sense. Even though awakening the gun is not difficult, it is
somewhat of a nuisance to have to press the button twice, especially if you need to cure a restoration quickly. On the other hand,
at least the time is the same as before it went to sleep.
The back end contains the door to the battery compartment.
Merely rotate the door slightly to open and insert the battery until
it snaps into place. To remove, insert a small spatula or screwdriver between the battery and the snap-lock mechanism. This is fast
and easy to do.
Wand Holder
There is also an auxiliary “table holder”, which is merely a small,
almost flat disc (3.25in/8.3cm in diameter) with a recess on top to
place the wand more securely instead of directly on the countertop, when placing it back in the recharger is not necessary at that
moment.
Battery
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). Integral part of bottom section of
handpiece. Once the light is charged, it will cure for about 41
284
The Ratings
minutes. To fully recharge a completely dead battery, it takes
about 2.0 hours.
Fan
None. In the 10-minute cure test, it became moderately warm.
Timer
The soft-touch activation button on the top of the handpiece
allows you to scroll through the curing time options of 5, 10, 15,
or 20 seconds, which are indicated by four small green LEDs. A
40-second interval is conspicuously missing. Each illuminated
LED corresponds with 5 seconds of curing time. There is also an
audible beep every time the curing interval is changed and after
every 5 seconds of curing.
In addition, the LED indicator lights go out as the time counts
down. For example, if you choose 20 seconds as your curing interval, all four LED indicator lights will be illuminated at the start of
curing. After the first 5 seconds has expired, one of the four indicator lights goes out, giving you a visible cue as to how much time
remains in the curing interval. After another 5 seconds of curing,
a second indicator light goes out. And so on.
Tips
All are glass with a protective black coating. The hubs are metal
and fit very securely into the gun—they have an almost snap-in
feature—but they rotate almost too easily. Due to their glass composition, the tips can fracture if dropped.
Power loss
% per location
Tip
Diameter (mm)
(RRL)
Between center
and edge
1mm
from edge
7.9
7.9
12.2
14
15.3
3.6
51
42.3
28.3
8mm8mm
turbo
13mm
There is only one power and curing mode in the U.S. Outside the
U.S., there is also a step curing mode. In the 10-minute cure test,
there was only an 11% drop of power from the beginning to the
of activation.
Peak Power (mW/cm2)
Tip
Power
8mm turbo
13mm
758
542
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip
Cure Time (seconds)
Integral
11mm Demetron
10
20
40
24.8
28.4
31.8
25.6
29.2
30.8
Curing Lights
Tip
Cure Time (seconds)
Integral
10
10
20
40
31.5
41.2
41.9
11mm Demetron
31.5
27.7
32.3
35.4
Tip
Cure Time (seconds)
Integral
11mm Demetron
10
20
40
31.5
43.2
48.4
23.5
25.7
30.8
Built-In Radiometer
and activate the light. The power will be indicated by the illumination of the blue lights on the right side of the base unit. The
power output of 1,000mW/cm2 as confirmed using the LED
Radiometer illuminates all five lights and corresponds with 100%
power. However, the original FreeLight illuminates three lights of
the built-in radiometer, indicating 60% power or 600mW/cm2 of
power. But testing it on the LED Radiometer shows it produces
only 400mW/cm2 of power. Therefore, the built-in radiometer is
probably not as accurate as it could be.
Changing the Bulb
Heat Generation
°C
Mode
Tip
Contact
20s
Regular
Regular
8mm Turbo
13mm
31.4
19.7
2mm away
20s
27.0
23.2
No.
Directions
Plain paper booklet in three languages, with English on eight
pages. All the functions are fully described. Has 10 black and
white illustrations on different functions and maintenance items.
There is an auxiliary sheet of materials from a variety of manufacturers, telling you which materials can and cannot be cured with
this light. But the date of the list is November 2002, making it
woefully outdated.
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the Elipar Freelight 2.)
radii
(3.9)
SDI
www.sdi.com.au
4b
NEW
Cost: $695.00
Includes:
• Curing light wand
• 3 replacement lens caps
• Light shield
• AC/DC wall adapter
• Charger Base
• 100 Barrier sleeves
Warranty: 2 years
What if it needs repairs? Call SDI at 800-228-5166.
If it is a warranty repair, a new light will be sent to
the doctor and light needing repairs will be returned
to SDI. This will likely be done through the dealer. If
it is unclear if it is a warranty repair, SDI will arrange
to pick up the light, evaluate it, and call the doctor
with the results. If it is not a warranty repair, the
doctor can pay $150 for any and all repairs.
Is there a loaner program? Yes, if necessary. SDI
will supply loaners directly to the doctor if needed.
The Ratings
285
Curing Lights
Impressive power
Can convert to use with Demetron tips
Tips
End of top section—not a conventional type of tip. There are,
however, adapters that screw onto the tip of the wand once the
lens cap is removed. They allow you to use any Demetron tip.
Won’t cure long enough for 8+ unit veneer case
Using Demetron tips creates weird shape
White wedge-shaped rectangle with a reasonably small footprint
and elevation. The wand fits securely into a simple round recess in
the front of the base unit. When the wand is placed in the base
unit, a red LED will illuminate when the battery is charging. The
light changes to green when the unit is fully charged.
The aperture for the radiometer is located on the left side of the
base unit. There is no power switch — the unit is always activated as long as it is plugged into an electrical outlet. The power cord
enters the unit at the rear of the left side.
Integral Tip
11mm Demetron Tip
Size of base unit (including cords and the wand with
the integral tip)
Height
8.25in/21.0cm
Width
3.5in/8.9cm
Depth
6.0in/15.2cm
Wand
Cordless, white plastic, resembles a large electric toothbrush,
weighing just 5.2oz/160.2g and measuring only 1.0in/2.6cm in
diameter. Uses a conventional pencil grip with the trigger on the
top. This trigger, which is a low profile, rubber-like purple disk
located about halfway between the tip and the back end, requires
moderate pressure to activate. There is not a beep when the light
is activated nor is there a beep when it deactivates.
Since it is not autoclavable, there are barrier sleeves. When we
tested the power with the barrier in place, we found about a 16%
decrease in power.
Battery
Lithium ion. Integral part of bottom section of wand. It did not
run out of power for over two hours, but lost 16% of its power
after one hour of use. From no charge, it should take slightly more
than two hours to fully charge it.
Fan
None—uses heat sink technology. In the 10-minute cure test
(which only really lasted for slightly less than five minutes), the
handle became warm, but the tip section became downright hot
and there was a burning-like odor.
Timer
None. Beeps once at 15 seconds and then every 10 seconds up to
65 seconds, with each 10-second interval adding a beep.
Integral Tip
Power loss
% per location
Tip
The Ratings
Diameter (mm)
(RRL)
8mm
Integral
11mm Demetron
Between center
and edge
1mm
from edge
14
12
3
51
81
85
7.9
7.2
10.1
There is only one power and curing mode — a quasi-ramp mode
during the first five seconds of activation. In the 10-minute cure
test, it overheated and shut off after about 5-6 minutes. At that
point, it lost about 7% of its power. However, after it overheats
once, it will no longer run for the aforementioned 5-6 minutes. It
achieves full curing power after six seconds.
Peak Power (mW/cm2)
Tip
Power
Integral
11mm Demetron
842
575
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip
Cure Time (seconds)
10
20
40
286
11mm Demetron Tip
Integral
11mm Demetron
30.1
34.1
35.0
27.0
29.0
34.3
Curing Lights
No.
Tip
Cure Time (seconds)
10
20
40
Integral
11mm Demetron
24.8
37.7
36.8
23.1
35.7
36.7
Tip
Cure Time (seconds)
Integral
11mm Demetron
10
20
40
26.1
34.8
37.4
24.4
33.5
37.6
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the Radii.)
Heat Generation
Changing the Bulb
°C
Tip
Mode
Contact
20s
2mm away
20s
32.6
15.8
15.9
18.4
9.7
9.2
Regular
Standard
Regular Demetron 8mm Turbo+
Regular
Demetron 11mm
Built-In Radiometer
You merely place the tip over the aperture, activate the light, and
between 1-5 blue LEDs will illuminate immediately above the
aperture on the base unit, with five LEDs meaning full power.
Directions
Plain paper, eight languages, annoying foldout design. All the
functions are fully described, but there are no photos or illustrations. Correctly states that curing times will differ based on the
material you are using. Also states that “Portable radiometers can
give inaccurate and inconsistent results” and to use the built-in,
light-based radiometer to indicate if the light is performing at full
power. However, it does not indicate what type of radiometer was
used to quantify its intensity.
the Cure
Spring Health
(4.2)
www.springhealthproducts.com
Cost: $499.00
Includes:
• Curing light
• 1 lens wrench
• 2 light shields
• Curing sleeves (50)
• 1 handpiece hanger
Warranty: 1 year
3b
NEW
What if it needs repairs? Call customer service 1-800-800-1680 to see
if problem can be fixed over the
phone. If not, then manufacturer will
issue a call tag so the light can be
returned for repairs.
Is there a loaner program? Not
typically—only if repairs cannot be
completed quickly.
Least expensive
Dual activation buttons
No timer
Small tip
The Ratings
287
Curing Lights
Base Unit
None. Wand is attached to an electrical cord that plugs directly
into an outlet.
Wand
White plastic. Measures 7.5in/19.0cm in length and
0.8in/19.2mm in diameter (at its handle). Weighs 2.4oz/67.6g.
Designed for a pen grasp, although there is a rubber-coated activation trigger on both the top and bottom of the wand. These
dual buttons give you more options when it comes to hand positions. With the activation buttons being elevated, both are quite
easy to find it (without looking) and require minimal pressure to
activate. Other than the activation buttons, the unit has no other
controls or settings. The cord is straight, easily cleaned, and very
lightweight. Comes with a handpiece-like hanger, which attaches
to your dental unit.
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Cure Time (seconds)
6
10
20
40
25.7
28.8
31.7
33.0
Cure Time (seconds)
KHN
6
10
20
40
27.4
28.4
38.1
40.2
Battery
None. Operates on AC power.
Cure Time (seconds)
KHN
6
10
20
40
28.8
28.8
36.9
39.4
Fan
None. The light deactivates at about four minutes. At three minutes, it became very warm, bordering on hot, while at four
minutes, it is hot.
Heat Generation
Timer
None. It merely beeps (actually sounds like a chirping bird) every
2 seconds until you push the button to turn it off or it will deactivate automatically at 16 seconds, whichever comes first. In high
power, the beeps are single, while in low power, they are double.
The beeps, however, are not very loud.
Tip
End of wand — not a conventional type of tip.
°C
Mode
High Power
Low Power
Tip
Contact
20s
2mm away
20s
Standard
Standard
40.5
21.3
41.5
21.0
No.
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
Diameter (mm)
(per manufacturer)
(RRL)
8mm
8.5
Between center
and edge
1mm
from edge
1
30
There are two power levels—high and low. To cure at high, push
the button once, while a double click (like a computer mouse) will
get you to low power. We could not perform the 10-minute cure
test—the light deactivates at about four minutes. After three minutes, there was a 7.5% drop of power from the beginning of the
test. It achieved full curing power within three seconds of activation.
288
Tip
Power
High Power
Low Power
1,105
619
The Ratings
BisCover
Tempglaze
Optilux 501. Right side was cured with the Cure.)
Built-In Radiometer
None.
Changing the Bulb
Directions
Cardboard booklet that is easy to read and understand with a few
line drawings. However, it states that dentists should run their
own hardness tests with a sharp instrument to make sure the unit
Curing Lights
will cure a specific material. While this type of quick test will certainly tell you whether the light has any effect on a material, it will
not discriminate between degrees of cure. We think these types of
tests can give you false and misleading information—don’t rely on
them. In addition, low power is recommended for step curing, but
even this lower power level (619mW/cm2) is too high for step curing.
PACS
Sapphire
1
Den-Mat
(3.6)
www.denmat.com
Cost: $3,795.00
Includes:
• 9mm tip
• 4mm: $85.00
• 9mm: $85.00
• 12mm: $85.00
Warranty: 1 year
SAMPLING
Contact Den-Mat at
800-433-6628.
Is there a loaner program? Yes.
Replacement bulb
Cost: $695.00
Bulb life: 1,000 hours
Best timer
Cures all materials
Difficult placing wand in holder
Very expensive
Base Unit
Two-tone beige aluminum in a contemporary vertical design with
a sensually curvaceous front panel. The top has the recessed carrying handle, which is a cutout framed and lined with the same
plastic material as the front panel of the base unit. The aforementioned front panel is the eye-catcher, with the soft-touch control
panel dominating the upper third, while the fiber-optic cord of
the gun inserts in the bottom third. The control panel consists of
two LED readouts at the top, with the timer preset buttons, mode
selection buttons and an auxiliary start button on the bottom. The
readouts indicate what curing interval you are using. See Timer for
details.
The cream-colored plastic gun holder mounts on the upper
right section of the right panel. Docking and retrieving the gun is
not difficult, but it is not as unobstructive as other lights. The rear
of the unit has the power cord, fuses, fan grids, and a power
switch.
The cord, made out of fiber optic bundles surrounded by metal
mono-coil and a black PVC jacket for protection, is thinner and
somewhat more flexible than the typically stiff, fluid-filled, fiber
optic type, common to plasma arc lights.
Size of base unit (including cords and the gun with a tip
inserted)
Height
10.5in/26.7cm
Width
6.25in/15.9cm
Depth
17.0in/43.2cm
Gun
Thin and lightweight (it does not contain the fan or bulb) with a
button by your thumb to start the timer. While this is not a difficult movement (activating the light with your thumb), it is not
quite as instinctive as activating a conventional trigger with your
index finger. In addition, there are plastic extensions on the left
and right of the button, presumably placed to prevent accidental
activation of the light and to stabilize the light in the holder.
However, these projections are more of a nuisance and interfere
with docking the gun in the holder. Above this button is an LED
display that shows the curing interval you have chosen in seconds.
Immediately above the display is a small blue timer select button,
which conveniently allows you to change the curing interval without going back to the base unit. The display and button on the top
of gun makes it completely ambidextrous. Weighs 5.3oz/150.3g.
The Ratings
289
Curing Lights
Fan
Activates along with activation of the light and deactivates as soon
as the curing interval is completed. It is moderately noisy, but
being in the back of the base unit, will not blow hot air in the
vicinity of the patient, your assistant, or you.
Timer
The best of all for plasma arcs. There are four single touch presets
numbered 1-4 that correlate with curing intervals of 3, 5, 7, and
9 seconds in the Standard cure mode. This mode is selected by
activating the soft touch button labeled Standard, which is directly to the right of the four presets. When this mode is selected, the
LED display on the control panel will show SC under Program
and the curing interval under Seconds. The other mode selection
button, Optional, which is to the right of the Standard button,
gives you access to two other programs: Automatic Cycling and
Custom. When one of these presets is selected, the Program LED
will readout AC or CC respectively. To go from one mode to
another, you merely push the Optional button.
Automatic Cycling You would typically select this mode for multiple restorations or to cure different sections of a single
restoration that is larger than the diameter of your curing tip. The
four preset timers are (1) continuous cycles of 5 seconds, (2)
Bleaching (60 seconds), (3) 3 cycles of 3 seconds, and (4) 3 cycles
of 5 seconds. For each of these selections, the number of cycles
appears in the Program display, while the time of each cycle
appears in the Seconds display.
Custom Allows the timers to be adjusted by you. Each time one
of the preset buttons is pressed, one second is added to the timer
in the specific range for each button, and this will stay constant
until the setting is changed. The ranges for each preset button are
(1) 1-10 seconds, (2) 1-10 seconds, (3) 5-15 seconds, and (4) 515 seconds.
Tips
Mostly glass, with metal hubs.
Power loss
% per location
Diameter
(per manufacturer)
Diameter (mm)
(RRL)
Between
center
and edge
8mm
9mm
12mm
7.9
8.7
12.0
14
7
22
1mm
from edge
51
23
64
Power
In the 2.5-minute cure test, there was only an 11% drop of power
from the beginning to the end of the test. It achieved full curing
power within one second of activation.
Spectrum A2 (MPa)
Tip size
Cure Time (seconds)
5
10
9mm
12mm
20.4
26.2
18.3
20.5
Tip size
Cure Time (seconds)
5
10
9mm
12mm
21.6
32.4
21.4
25.6
Tip size
Cure Time (seconds)
5
10
9mm
12mm
20.6
22.2
9.3
21.0
Heat Generation
°C
Mode
AC
AC
Tip
Contact
10s
2mm
10s
9mm
12mm
52.0
34.8
65.2
46.3
Yes.
Built-In Radiometer
Digital display. Will fit any size of tips from 7mm and larger.
Operated by placing the tip over the aperture and activating the
light. The reading will appear after a delay of a few seconds. When
we tested the curing output of the light on this built-in meter and
the LED Radiometer, we found the built-in readings to be almost
100% higher.
Changing the Bulb
Using thumbscrews, open the door on the bottom of the unit,
grasp lamp and pull towards you to remove from lightsource and
then unscrew the lamp pins to release the lamp. In order to
replace, position new lamp until it rests securely on the lamp pins
and tighten.
Directions
14-page plain paper booklet with six illustrations. Easy to understand and follow.
Peak Power (mW/cm2)
290
Tip size
Power
9mm
12mm
1,142
794
The Ratings
Curing Lights
REALITY
HALOGEN
The Optilux 501 continues to be the standard against
which all other curing lights are compared and has
been our Product of the Year for 2001 and 2002. It has
an incredible number of bells and whistles that allow
you to customize it to your needs. While several other
lights can now match the 501 in the various performance categories, its track record, the best selection of
tips (a major advantage), a legacy of durability, an
aseptic and convenient timer, and a digital light meter
still make it hard to beat.
But it’s not perfect. Having a timer in the gun, for
example, would be nice. And the tips lose a considerable amount of power at their edges. Furthermore, it
is the most expensive halogen in our group (except for
the Swiss Master). In addition, the 8mm Turbo tip gets
quite hot. Nevertheless, the 501 is like an old reliable
friend that keeps you from getting into trouble and is
always there when needed.
If you want the biggest, meanest, most intimidating
curing light for intergalactic warfare, the Swiss
Master is for you. With an utterly awesome 340 watt
bulb supplying the photon power, it is not for the
meek among us. The main concept behind this light is
power for fast curing. That’s the reason for the powerful bulb, which requires another unique aspect
about this light—it’s water cooled to dissipate the
heat more effectively than a fan. The water resides in
a blue translucent reservoir at the rear of the unit.
Once filled, the reservoir only needs to be changed
twice a year.
Performance-wise, this light delivers in a big way. Its
bond strength and hardness values at four seconds
basically equal the 10-second performance of most
other lights, while its 10-second performance values
equals 40 seconds of other lights. However, all this performance comes at a very high cost and the gun
weighs twice as much as most other products in this
category.
In addition, the heat generated at the tip will cause
a painful response from patients after only four seconds of curing. This heat generation was confirmed by
our tests. One possible solution to the heat problem is
to store the disposable plastic tips in the freezer and
remove them one at a time right before you are ready
to use them. Our initial tests show that, as long as you
wipe the condensation off the tips, power does not
suffer and the heat from the tips can be decreased by
as much as 50%. Nevertheless, we cannot recommend
this exercise until we have more data, but the promise
that cold tips will allow the use of this light for 10-second cures, which produce very high performance
values, is very exciting. We do, however, recommend
the plastic tips, which outperformed the glass tip.
The Coltolux 75 ColorTalk is one of the most unique
lights on the market. With its voice alerts in one of five
languages, it relieves you of the chore of keeping track
of the beeps and even eliminates the need to set any
type of timer. Its solidly-built, sleek, simple elegant
design is also enhanced by the choice of five different
colors of translucent top sections. Besides the glitzy
factors, however, is a powerful light that is comfortable to hold and features a more than adequate
selection of tips. It is also the second least expensive
halogen, making it an exceptional value. On the other
hand, it lacks a radiometer and changing the bulb
requires a screwdriver.
If all you want to do is take a light out of the box, plug
it in, turn it on, and hit the trigger, the Demetron LC
is it. It has no timer, no modes, not even a radiometer.
You get a rectangular low tech base unit, a gun and
ambidextrous cradle, a tip, very good power, and performance that rival its more glamorous sibling. And
you actually get all this for the lowest cost in this subcategory.
However, the fan is very noisy, blows air in your
face, and stays on for at least two annoying minutes
even if you only cure for 10 seconds. And since there is
no automatic cutoff (at least for 10 minutes), you really have to count the beeps to make sure you are curing
for your desired time. This necessity is the biggest nuisance, since losing track of the beeps is a very real
possibility.
The Spectrum 800 features a gun with an ambidextrous digital timer and radiometer display, has decent
power and good selection of tips (second best after the
Optilux offerings), and gives you the ability to create
your own variable intensity protocol (although we
don’t think you will use it much). The trigger, though,
is somewhat difficult to activate and the cradle for the
gun has uncomfortable sharp edges.
The Elipar 2500 is a basic model with no timer or
radiometer, but has adequate power. However, it suffers from the same limitations as the Demetron LC with
The Ratings
291
Curing Lights
a price tag that is substantially higher. Nevertheless, if
you want a reliable light that has a track record and
doesn’t try to confuse you with unnecessary options,
this could be it.
LED (LIGHT EMITTING DIODE)
The L.E.Demetron 1, our Product of the Year for
2004, has simple operation, plenty of power, easily
changed and recharged batteries, good battery life,
portability, and ambidextrous timer. In addition, all
Demetron tips can be used with it.
However, there are items that can be improved. Its
long handle would be more ergonomic if it was shorter and its weight could be reduced (it’s the second
heaviest in this category). The timer button could be
easier to reach, the gun stand is not particularly
impressive, and it doesn’t remember your time setting
when you activate it from the sleep mode, which the
light enters after a more realistic four minutes (it had
been two minutes).
It still cannot cure all materials and our tests show
its 10-second cure recommendation may not optimize
the performance of restorations. As with most other
lights, either 20 or 40 seconds per increment is a more
effective curing interval.
Nevertheless, the confidence in curing this light
instills largely overshadows its weak areas. This product has to be at the top of your LED list.
The bluephase has a small, relatively light gun, interchangeable tips, convenient digital timer, more than
adequate power (the turbo tip scored the highest of
any light in this category), good battery life, and the
flexibility to be used cordless or corded. The latter benefit is very important since there is no spare battery
that can easily be switched with one that is out of its
charge. If you do run out of battery power, you can
merely install the power pack and continue to use the
light.
However, when the power pack is installed on the
gun, the cord itself interferes with docking the gun
back into the base unit. With this scenario, you will
just have to lay the gun on the countertop, which is
not a great option since it could easily be knocked off
onto the floor. The radiometer is also suspect—we do
not advise depending on it to assess the condition of
the gun.
When it goes to sleep, it will remember its setting
when it is reactivated, but you must depress the trigger
once to wake it up and then another time to activate
its curing mechanism. We found ourselves forgetting
292
The Ratings
to press the trigger twice until it was obvious that the
light was not activated. There were even times when
the trigger needed to be pressed three times to activate the light. It will also not cure all materials.
Additionally, we are concerned about the fan deactivating as soon as the gun is placed in the base unit.
This could lead to overheating, which could damage
the gun.
On the other hand, it did pass our 10-minute cure
test, which means it can be used to lute large cases,
where multiple units may be seated simultaneously.
Although it has weak areas, for sure, the bluephase
is, nonetheless, one of the best curing lights on the
market.
The Allegro has very good power from its regular tips,
which amazingly did not lose any power going from
the center of the tips to the outer edge and, in fact,
gained power. It does not, however, cure all materials.
From a convenience aspect, it has a very good,
ambidextrous timer that maintains the curing time you
just used in case you forgot how long you cured. The
activation button is on the top and operates with only
slight pressure, but thumb activation instead of an
index finger movement when the trigger is on the
inside of the gun may not be favored by some clinicians. Nevertheless, the most striking design feature is
the battery doubling as a “foot”, allowing it to stand
on its own without the need for a gun stand.
However, this “foot” can at times get in the way of
accessing certain parts of the mouth, such as the
mandibular anterior teeth. In this case, we found the
“foot” can contact the patient’s chest, necessitating
the rotation of the handle and tip, which is a nuisance.
One evaluator considered it awkward, while another
one praised its balance despite the fact that it is the
heaviest in this group. The fan is very quiet, but its
cooling effectiveness is not very good, as it became
downright hot to hold in our 10-minute test. On the
other hand, changing and charging the batteries is
very easy.
Despite its curing effectiveness, the clear acrylic tip
did not win any fans due to its emitting light all along
its length and not being autoclavable. The black plastic sleeves that fit over the plastic tips can solve the
lateral light emission problem, but removing them for
disinfection and then reinstalling them was a hassle.
Fortunately, the black glass tip solves that problem. It
is, however, the most expensive LED in this group.
The Smartlite iQ is Dentsply/Caulk’s second attempt
at the LED curing light market. Although its initial
offering, the NRG, was not a bad product from a per-
Curing Lights
formance perspective, its construction was presumably
not robust enough, causing its recall. Fortunately, the
Smartlite iQ is a better light in virtually all respects
compared to the NRG.
It has a small, relatively light gun (weighs less than
others with this design), interchangeable tips, convenient digital timer, adequate power, excellent battery
life (by far the best of all lights), the quickest recharging time by far, and portability. When it goes to sleep,
it will remember its setting when it is reactivated. It is
also easy to store and clean, especially the latter, since
it has no vent openings due to lack of a fan.
However, the trigger on the gun is somewhat difficult to activate, even operators with large hands
cannot reach the controls to change the curing time
interval from the position most convenient to activate
the light, the LCD display is rather small and not easily
read, and the lack of a fan causes it to overheat relatively quickly and cut off after about three minutes of
curing. This overheating issue made it fail our 10minute cure test and eliminates its use when seating
six or more bonded restorations at one time.
In addition, if you forget to put the gun back on the
base unit, you are out of luck until it recharges. Guns
with removable batteries don’t suffer from this fate,
since you would typically have another fully charged
battery ready to go. On the other hand, it will probably never run out of battery power unless you left it off
the recharger for an extended period. And, like most
other LEDs, it will not cure certain materials whose initiator falls outside its peak wavelength range of
450-470nm.
If you are looking for a lightweight and cordless
LED with interchangeable tips and don’t plan on using
it for extensive restorative cases, this product will perform well. With its extremely long battery life, it could
be the product of choice for ambulatory dentistry.
The Ultra-Lume LED 5 is the only LED we have tested
with the ability to cure all materials. The basic corded
design will please some clinicians who don’t want to be
concerned about recharging batteries, while others
will still prefer the freedom that cordless units offer. It
also has an ambidextrous timer and the “tacking
mode” adds great convenience to this light when seating indirect restorations. In addition, power and
performance are very good.
However, the design of the tip of the wand still
leaves a lot to be desired. It is difficult to position it
properly over a restoration. And with the metal collimator in the tip, our mapping shows there is only a
very small central area on which you can rely to properly cure a restoration. If you don’t center the tip
directly over the restoration, you could inadvertently
leave significant sections undercured. It also produced
the most heat of any LED.
Nevertheless, if you want an LED that will cure all
the materials on the market (we obviously did not test
all of them, but a good cross-section), then this is it.
The Elipar FreeLight 2 is the second generation of
the original long, sinewy shaped LED. The main difference between this version and its predecessor is
power—this one is much higher. It also now has a larger tip that, even though the manufacturer has
discouraged its use for general restorative dentistry—
it’s supposed to be just for sealants—our tests show it
will perform adequately. In addition, at least one evaluator felt it is too big and awkward to use, while
another one felt more comfortable using a palm grasp
and activating it with his thumb. And it has the shortest cure time per battery charge and is tied for the
longest recharging time. Nevertheless, if you like the
wand design, don’t mind the rather large size, want a
cordless version, and require a timer, then this is your
product of choice, assuming, of course, the price, second highest among the LEDs, doesn’t scare you away.
Radii has an innovative design and economical price.
The option of using Demetron tips definitely expands
its utility, but the downside to this conversion is the
strange look and awkward feel of the light.
Unfortunately, the integral tip is really only about
7.2mm and due to the design of the tip, it is difficult to
tell whether this active part of the tip is positioned
properly over the restoration. This could result in sections of your restorations not being cured properly.
And, due to its cutting off at the 5-6 minute mark (failsafe mechanism due to lack of a fan), this is not the
light to use when seating a full set of veneers. In addition, it does not cure all materials.
Furthermore, activation requires moderate pressure
and counting the beeps is bothersome—it needs a
timer. It can stand vertically out of its recharging stand
or you can lay it down horizontally on the cabinet
top—its nose section will keep it from rolling off.
Therefore, unless you are willing to tolerate the
somewhat weird look and feel of using a Radii with a
Demetron tip installed, it would be much better utilized for more conservative restorative procedures,
pediatric procedures, and orthodontic situations. On
the other hand, it does pack plenty of power and doesn’t have to be recharged for at least one hour of
curing, although it is tied for the longest recharging
time.
The Ratings
293
Curing Lights
If you want simple, lightweight (the lightest in this category), and small, and you don’t mind that it looks like
a toy, the Cure is for you. The only decision it asks you
to make is whether you want to cure at high or low
power. And we don’t even believe you need to think
about that decision—you should just use high power.
Due to its slim design—its head and neck area measure
only 14.7mm in diameter, which is not much more than
a conventional handpiece—you will never have to
worry about intraoral access, especially on the lingual
when the patient has a narrow mandibular arch. And
its power is quite exceptional (second highest in this
category).
However, it suffers from not having a timer (those
“chirps” have to go), its small tip means overlapping
cures, which is a nuisance, it will not cure all materials,
it’s not cordless, and it did not pass the 10-minute cure
test. Nevertheless, it has by far the least expensive
price in this category.
PLASMA ARC
The Sapphire continues to be the only plasma arc in
this category this year. This is due to the fact that plasma arc lights in general have been largely replaced by
high-powered halogens if speed is your highest priority. This is especially true when the Swiss Master is
considered. Therefore, this entire category may be
headed to the dental museum in the not too distant
future.
Nevertheless, the Sapphire is a capable light, especially with its 9mm tip — the power from the 12mm tip
is substantially lower. It seems to be able to cure all
materials (this is a risky statement, but it did cure a
wide range of different types of materials), its featureladen control panel gives you a dizzying selection of
options, its reasonably small footprint doesn’t eat up
valuable countertop real estate, and there is a decent
selection of tips. With its gun design (as opposed to the
wand of other similar units), it is also easier to handle.
And there is a unique whitening crystal optional tip,
should you choose to use it for bleaching. On the other
hand, its gun holder is not particularly user-friendly and
it is, by far, the most expensive light in this category.
OTHER PRODUCTS IN THIS CATEGORY
HALOGEN
Lunar
Benlioglu/First Medica
Astralis 7
Ivoclar Vivadent
Polofil
Voco
Astralis 10
Ivoclar vivadent
Translux CL
Heraeus Kulzer
Hilux 250TA
Translux EC
Heraeus Kulzer
Hilux 600
Translux Energy
Heraeus Kulzer
Hilux 601
VIP
Bisco
Jetlite 4000
J. Morita USA
VIP Junior
Bisco
Litex 692
Dentamerica
294
The Ratings
HALOGEN CORDLESS
LIGHTS
ARGON LASERS AND
PLASMA ARCS
ProLite
Dentsply/Caulk
AccuCure Elite
LaserMed
LED
AccurCure OrthoPlus
LaserMed
Coltolux LED
Coltene/Whaledent
FLASH-lite 1401
Discus
Ultra-Lume LED 2
Ultradent
ARC Light IIM
Air Techniques
DiamondPlasma
DRM Research
Laboratories
Power PAC
AMT
Uni-LED
Advance Technology

Curing Lights - REALITY Publishing Company

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