[Studies on thermal stimulation accompanying visible-light irradiation]

Visible-light-cured composite resin is one of the most frequently used materials in clinical practice. The use of this material inevitably involves dental pulp stimulation, i.e., thermal stimulation due to visible-light irradiation, during the restoration procedure. To determine the variations of temperature involved in visible-light irradiation, the author examines differences in temperature generated by various types of visible-light curing units. Changes in the temperature under varying conditions of irradiation were also examined. The results were as follows: 1) Among the visible-light curing units used in the present study, the highest temperature was obtained from Translux CL (a rise of 17 degrees C) whereas Hiliomat showed the lowest value (a rise of 7 degrees C). 2) The temperature increased with prolongation of irradiation time, reaching a maximum level (a rise of 15 degrees C) at 60s. 3) The temperature increased with shortening of irradiation distance, reaching a maximum level (a rise of 20 degrees C) at 3mm.