Power and time requirements for use of the argon laser to polymerize composite resins

A carefully controlled laboratory study was conducted to determine the optimum power setting and polymerization cycle time to cure four commercially available composite resins with an argon laser. Most effective resin polymerization was achieved when Prisma APH was polymerized at 310 mW for 7 seconds, when Herculite was polymerized at 160 mW for 12 seconds, when P-50 was polymerized at 525 mW for 13 seconds and when Silux Plus was polymerized at 270 mW for 13 seconds. The exact parameters of laser power and exposure time seem to be material specific, with greater variation being noted in power setting than in exposure time.