ABSTRACT Objective To determine the effect of differences in the distances and radial positions of the tips of Light‐Curing Units (LCU) on the irradiance values delivered. Materials and Methods Four LCUs —Valo X, Emitter A, CuringPen , and Pinkwave were tested at different distances from the tip (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 mm) and radial displacements (2 and 4 mm East, West, North, South). The radiant power ( mW ) and emission spectrum ( mW /nm) were measured using an integrating sphere with a 4 mm aperture. Calibrated irradiance beam profiles were recorded across the tip using a laser beam analyzer. Data were analyzed with a two‐way ANOVA at a significance level of 5%. Results Radial displacement significantly reduced the irradiance values delivered from all four LCUs ( p 0.05). The Valo X emitted the most homogeneous beam profile, irrespective of the distance. Conclusion Variations of 2 or 4 mm in the radial tip position negatively affected irradiance values from the LCUs tested. Clinical Significance The radial position and LCU choice can significantly affect the irradiance delivered.
Guarneri et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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