ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge of dentists working in a teaching hospital of Karachi regarding light cure units.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a time frame of 6 months. A questionnaire was distributed to dentists working in a dental teaching hospital. The survey employed in this study has been adopted and revised from the study lead by Tüloğlu et al. Questionnaire focused on the demographic details along with queries related to the usage of light cure devices, type of light cure unit used, curing time used for composites and adhesive, light intensity used for sufficient polymerization.
Statistical analysis of the study was done using Chi-square and Fishers Exact and descriptive analysis done by analyzing frequency and percentage.
RESULT: Over-all 156 dentists participated in this study, which includes 34% (n= 53) males and 66% (n= 103) females participated. Light-emitting diode (LED) was commonly preferred by 66% of the respondents aged 21-29 years, followed by Quartz-Tungsten-Halogen (QTH). 34% of the dentists of age group 30-39 years had knowledge concerning options for irradiation accessible by Light Curing Units (LCU). The conventional mode was most preferred by 60% of 21-29 aged respondents. The majority of dentists advocated using 10-20 sec for curing adhesive and composite restorations. 66% of respondents aged commented using 100-300 mv/cm2 intensity of light, while 30-39 years aged used 300-500 mv/cm2 for curing 2 mm thick composite.
CONCLUSION: It is apparent that dental practitioners of age group of 21-29 years have less knowledge regarding dental light-curing units, concerning the technical knowledge and correct usage of light-curing devices.
Key words: Light-emitting diode (LED), light intensity, Quartz Tungsten Diode (QTH), Plasma-ARC, dentists, dental composites
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