Influence of the Light Source and Curing Parameters on Microhardness of a Silorane-Based Dental Composite Material

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the light source and the light-curing parameters (the distance of the material from the light source and time of light-curing) on microhardness of Flitek Silorane dental composite material. Standardized samples of Filtek Silorane material were cured using two types of Light Curing Units (LCUs) – halogen and LED. The distance of the light source and time of curing differed between samples. The Knoop’s microhardness was tested using microhardness tester Micromet 5103. Using LED light curing unit allowed to achieve significantly higher microhardness of silorane-based dental material Filtek Silorane than using halogen light curing unit. Decreasing the distance from the light source to the surface of silorane-based material Filtek Silorane improved its microhardness. A prolonged curing time could compensate the drop in microhardness of Filtek Silorane material resulting from an increased distance from the light source to the surface of the material only in a limited range of intervals.

Keywords

• dental composite material
• light-curing
• silorane
• microhardness