Long-term quality management of third-generation LED light-curing units: A 10-year retrospective analysis

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Radiant exposure from light-curing units (LCUs) is critical for resin-based composite polymerization.
• Effective quality management of light-curing procedures is essential in dental practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively evaluate the performance, service removal frequency, and reasons for third-generation LED LCUs over a decade.
• To assess the long-term irradiance stability and reliability of specific LCU models.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 10 years of data from third-generation LED LCUs (Bluephase G2).
• Regular irradiance monitoring using a dental radiometer (Bluephase Meter) at 1-2 month intervals and after incidents.
• Documentation of measurements, incidents, and reasons for removal in practice management software.

Main Results:

• The mean irradiance of 554 measurements was 1,375 ± 68 mW/cm², exceeding the manufacturer's specification.
• No significant loss of tip irradiance was observed even in units monitored for the full 10 years.
• Accidental dropping was the cause in two-thirds of incidents, leading to replacement in about half of those cases.

Conclusions:

• Third-generation LED LCUs exhibit exceptional long-term irradiance stability.
• Despite high performance, continued quality assurance is recommended to account for potential unreported accidents.