Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Dankook University, Korea.
Copyright © 2003 Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry
Several curing conditions of variable light intensities resulted in the similar mechanical properties with a conventional continuous curing technique, except conditions that start curing with an initial light intensity of 50 mW/cm2,
Conventional and ramping techniques were better than soft-start technique in mechanical properties of microhardness and compressive strength.
Soft-start group that started curing with an initial light intensity of 100 mW/cm2 for 10 seconds showed the least dye penetration. Soft-start group that started curing with an initial light intensity of 200 mW/cm2 for 10 seconds showed the smallest marginal gap, if there was no difference among groups.
Soft-start technique resulted in better dye-proof margin than conventional technique (p=0.014) and ramping technique(p=0.002).
There was a very low relationship(p=0.157) between the methods of dye penetration and marginal gap determination through SEM evaluation.
Experimental materials
Classification of experimental groups according to curing conditions
600(40)*:Control group
Vickers hardness [Mean (S.D.)] (unit: kg/mm2)
Mean hardness value and statistics of the upper surface according to ways of variable light intensity (DenFil)
**:p < 0.01
Mean hardness value and statistics of the lower surface according to ways of variable light intensity (DenFil)
**:p < 0.01
Mean hardness value and statistics of the upper surface according to ways of variable light intensity (Esthet X)
**:p < 0.01
Mean hardness value and statistics of the lower surface according to ways of variable light intensity (Esthet X)
**:p < 0.01
Maximum compressive strength (kg/mm2)
Mean maximum compressive strength and statistics of DenFil according to ways of variable light intensity (unit: kgf/mm2)
**:p < 0.01
Mean maximum compressive strength and statistics of Esthet X according to ways of variable light intensity (unit: kgf/mm2)
*:p < 0.05
Mean degree of dye penetration
Mean ranks of degree of dye penetration (Kruskal-Wallis test)
*:p < 0.05
Mean degree of dye penetration and ranks at gingival margin according to ways of variable light intensity
*:p < 0.05 **:p < 0.01
Maximum gap (unit: µm)
Mean maximum gap at gingival margin according to ways of variable light intensity (unit: µm)
600(40)*:Control group
**:p < 0.01
**:p < 0.01
**:p < 0.01
**:p < 0.01
**:p < 0.01
*:p < 0.05
*:p < 0.05
*:p < 0.05 **:p < 0.01