Comparative Evaluation of the Irradiance Emitted by Different Methods of Photopolymerization

Introduction: To obtain success in the polymerization of restorative materials, obtaining a quality, it is necessary a light curing device and this in turn must be in proper operation. It is to be known that some other factors will influence these restorations as the emission and intensity of the light, adequate time of exposure and correct wavelength. Most of the three methods of light curing are used: High intensity in continuous light (High), increasing intensity (Soft-Start) and low (Low) intensity. The alteration between the above methods according to the time of exposure may cause different effects and should be chosen according to the need of the restorative procedure to be performed. Objective: To compare the photoactivation modes (High and Soft Start) emitted by two different devices (Dabi and Gnatus). All photo activators come from the Dental Clinic of Maternities Terezinha de Jesus Hospital. Method: An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied, considering the two device brands (Dabi and Gnatus) in the statistical model, so that the two photoactivation modes (High and Soft start) were evaluated in the same apparatus. All analyzes were performed in the R * program considering the level of significance of 5%. Results: It was observed that the Gnatus device presented higher mean irradiance (energy density), p <0.05, independent of the photoactivation mode. It is also observed that, for both devices, higher irradiance averages were observed with the high photoactivation mode (p <0.05). Conclusion: The two methods tested reached the minimum value indicated for polymerization of resinous materials, however, the Gnatus showed higher mean irradiance, and in both appliances the High method presented values statistically higher than the Soft Start method.