Spectroscopic and mechanical properties of dental resin composites cured with different light sources

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of polymerization in order to achieve an adequate clinical composite filling. Photopolymerization of new micro matrix restorative resin composite, Esthet-x, shade A3, from Dentsply Corp., was performed with plasma xenon, halogen and light emitting diode (LED) lamps. The degree of conversion (DC) of the resins was determined by means of middle, near infrared and Raman spectroscopy in transmittance and in DRIFT modes. The resin conversion was influenced by the nature of the light source, the distance from the irradiated surface, the exposure time and the depth from the surface. High DC values were obtained with all lamps but they resulted almost constant with the depth only in the LED unit. Micro-hardness and differential thermal analysis were in satisfactory agreement with DC data.