[Transmittance of light-cured composite resins. 1. Measurement of transmittance with time]

The factors that influence the change of the transmittance of light-cured composite resins during polymerization were examined. Six experimental composite resins such as used organic composite filler and fourteen commercial composite resins were investigated using the experimental device for measurement of the transmittance. The transmittance of the experimental composite resins were from 25 to 73%. The transmittance of the experimental composite resins changed with time; a group with increasing transmittance (G1), a group giving a maximum transmittance (G2), and a group with decreasing transmittance (G3). These changes of transmittance were influenced by the difference in the refractive indices between matrix resin and filler, but the refractive index that indicated a maximum transmittance of matrix resin during polymerization could not be observed when the refractive index of the matrix resin and filler was same. The light transmitted through the commercial composite resins was less than half of the irradiation light. This change of transmittance could also be classified into the three groups mentioned above. The commercial composite resins belonged to the group with increasing transmittance (G1).