ORAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Title Currently Available Radiometers Are Not An Adequate Way for Clinicians to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Their Curing Lights
Clinical Question Are radiometers an adequate way for clinicians to evaluate the effectiveness of their curing lights?
Clinical Bottom Line In a clinical setting, dental radiometers cannot accurately measure the irradiance or energy delivery of a curing light. However, handheld radiometers may still be useful in the dental office setting to detect changes in irradiance from a single curing light over a period of time.
Best Evidence (you may view more info by clicking on the PubMed ID link)
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
#1) 21562754Price/2012N/A (14 curing lights were measured with four brands of radiometer)Laboratory study
Key resultsRadiometer brands showed clinically significant differences with respect to irradiance readings; this difference was also affected by the choice of curing light. Of the 12 radiometers examined, 9 met the 20% bioequivalence standard; only 2 radiometers were within 10% of the gold standard. Further, significant differences in irradiance readings were found between different models of the same brand of radiometer.
Evidence Search "Curing Lights, Dental"[Mesh] AND radiometer[All Fields]
Comments on
The Evidence
Validity: None of the available evidence represents an RCT; however, for the purposes of answering this clinical question laboratory studies are sufficient. In both of the articles above, an industrial-grade radiometer was identified as a “gold standard” against which handheld radiometers were measured. Perspective: This article discusses the inadequacy of handheld radiometers for measuring the irradiance of curing lights. However, one piece of information that the article doesn't address is the fact that radiometers only measure total intensity and don't provide the operator the specific intensity of the critical wavelength needed to activate a specific photo initiator. Even if radiometers could consistently measure the output of a curing light, other factors such as composite composition, color, thickness, the distance certain wavelengths can travel through composite etc. all contribute to how well the resin composite will cure.
Applicability The findings of these studies are applicable to any clinician wishing to accurately evaluate the output of their curing light.
Specialty/Discipline (General Dentistry) (Restorative Dentistry)
Keywords Composite resin Curing lights
ID# 2653
Date of submission: 04/01/2014spacer
E-mail williamson2@livemail.uthscsa.edu
Author Mark Williamson
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor/Co-author Karen Troendle, DDS, MPH
Faculty mentor/Co-author e-mail troendle@uthscsa.edu
Basic Science Rationale
(Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?)
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Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs)
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