The effect of a plastic-wrapped LED light curing unit and curing distance variances on diametral tensile strength of composite resin

摘要

A method to control infection when using a light-emitting diode (LED) curing unit (LCU) is to wrap it in a transparent plastic barrier (cling wrap). The influence of a plastic-wrapped LCU and curing distance variances on diametral tensile strength of composite resin was evaluated. A total of 60 disc-shaped specimens were formed and cured using plastic-wrapped and unwrapped LCUs. The specimens were divided into six groups with curing distances of 0.5 to 5 mm. The diametral compression test was done using a universal testing machine. A statistically significant difference was found between the wrapped and unwrapped groups. Therefore, the use of a plastic-wrapped LCU influences the diametral tensile strength of composite resin.