The role of protective liners and glass ionomer in managing pulp temperature during light curing
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Background: To evaluate the thermal insulation of protective liners and glass ionomer cement during light-curing procedures.Material and Methods: Human third molars underwent Class I preparations with dimensions 5 mm long × 4 mm wide × 4 mm deep in a standardized manner ensured a consistent ±0.5 mm dentin thickness at the pulpal floor.The teeth were attached to a customized oral cavity chamber simulator with a circulating bath at a standardized temperature of 34.2 ± 1oC.The temperature variations at the pulpal floor were captured in real-time by video using an infrared thermal camera (FLIR ONE Pro, FLIR Systems).The materials evaluated were: Dycal (Dentsply), TheraCal LC (Bisco), Activa (Pulpdent), and Fuji II LC (GC).All light-activation procedures were performed with the same light-curing unit (Valo Grand, Ultradent) in standard mode, 1000 mW/cm 2 , and time of exposure following manufacturer instructions.A power analysis was conducted to determine the sample size considering a minimal power of 0.8, with α=0.05.Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Tukey's test for multiple comparisons.Results: The temperature at the pulpal floor increased above the 5.5 ºC safety threshold difference for clinical scenarios tested.None of the materials provided proper thermal insulation for light-curing procedures (p = 0.25).The higher the number of light-cured steps, the longer the pulp remained above the 5.5 ºC temperature threshold.Conclusions: The materials tested provided improper thermal insulation (Δ > 5.5 ºC).Thus, prolonged or multiple light-curing exposures can be harmful to the pulp tissues.Therefore, for indirect pulpal capping procedures, self-cured materials or a reduced number of steps requiring light curing must be adopted to reduce the amount of time the pulp remains above the 5.5 ºC safety temperature threshold.
DOI: 10.4317/jced.61703
Language: English
Subfield: Orthodontics
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: University of Florida
OpenAlex ID: W4399109237