We often get the question, "What is that?" from our patients who are watching us wave this "blue wand" over their mouth while getting fillings.
This "blue wand" is a curing light. This light is used for polymerization of light-cured resin-based composites or, in other words, the white filling that we put in a tooth. There are several materials that are curable by light. These lights can be Tungsten halogen, LED, plasma, and laser. Halogen and the LED are the most popular.
History
In the 1960's the first light-cured resin composite was developed. This led to the first curing light. They called it the"NUVA." The NUVA used ultraviolet light to cure composites. It was discontinued due to lack of shortened wavelength curing into the resin. Advances were made in the 1980's in the areas of making visible light curing.This next type of light was the halogen bulb. This light had further penetration and replaced the UV light.
Areas of improvement took place in the 1990's. Resin composites were better and the lights became stronger. The plasma light was introduced in 1998. It was a high-intensity light with a fluorescent bulb claiming to cure in 3 seconds. There were negative aspects to this light: high priced, actually cured in longer times than 3 seconds, and it was expensive to maintain. This brought about another light source technology.
Today we use the LED light. While the LED lights have been around since the 90's they weren't widely used until the frustrations of the plasma lights were unbearable. LED lights are continually being developed.
Dental curing lights only work on resin composite filling. They are not used for silver fillings, otherwise known as amalgam.
Silver fillings vs. white, tooth-colored fillings
So what is the difference betweena resin composite restoration and an amalgam (silver filling) restoration? What are the benefits of each?
The most obvious difference between the two is that an amalgam (silver filling) is not good at hide-and-seek when looking in the mouth, while resin composite can be undetectable to the untrained eye. Thus, for esthetic purposes, many patients opt to use a more organic look for their filling material.
In comparison, amalgam restorations have benefits of their own. Amalgam fillings have been used for over one hundred and fifty years and have (according to one study) been found to be more durable on wear and have greater longevity compared to composite fillings (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3011298/).
While the Amalgam fillingsmay be considered more durable against wear and tear, they have a tendency to cause leakage into the tooth structure, which will result in tooth discoloration. It's common for more than 90% of amalgam fillings to have decay underneath them! Another hang up for people with amalgam fillings is attributed to the mercury content within the material. This scares many people away from having an amalgam filling. It's important to note that there are different types of mercury: elemental, organic, and inorganic. The mercury used in amalgam fillings is safe and harmless.
Another problem with amalgam is that it is a metal. It contracts and expands when it is cooled or heated. That same expansion and contraction happens in your tooth as the mouth is heated or cooled. Consider what you eat and drink on a daily basis. You may have ice cream that is freezing cold and later be enjoying a boiling hot soup. Tooth structure is very glassy, so its easy to imagine how that much expansion and contraction stress can cause fractures over time. Not only do fractures occur, but during these expanding motions, the filling gives room for leakage and decay to grow underneath and can lead to more invasive treatment if not detected in time.
Like most dental offices, we don't use amalgam in our office. This is another way we give our patients thebest quality and care we can offer. That's the Apple Tree Dental way here in Rexburg, Idaho: Extraordinary Integrity, Care, and Comfort!
-Megan Southam, RDA
Apple Tree Dental 33 Winn Dr Suite 2 Rexburg, ID 83440
What is blue light? Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum – what the human eye can see. Vibrating within the 380 to 500 nanometer range, it has the shortest wavelength and highest energy. About one-third of all visible light is considered blue light. Sunlight is the biggest source of blue light.
A recent review of studies into blue light filtering glasses found that they had no impact on eye strain or sleep quality. The study also found no evidence to support that these filters have any impact on retinal health.
It is best to study and read in natural light during the day, and protect yourself from artificial blue light sources if using technology such as laptops, computers, tablets, and kindles.
More so than any other color, blue light messes with your body's ability to prepare for sleep because it blocks a hormone called melatonin that makes you sleepy. Bottom line: You're less drowsy than usual at night, and it takes you longer to fall asleep.
PDT, however, may induce early and late onset side effects. Erythema, pain, burns, edema, itching, desquamation, and pustular formation, often in association with each other, are frequently observed in course of exposure to the light source and in the hours/days immediately after the therapy.
Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and death. These speed up the aging process. Even exposures as short as 60 minutes can trigger these changes.
Exposure to blue light in the evening or at night has been shown to increase alertness and improve performance on reaction time tasks, most likely as a result of the suppression of the evening onset of melatonin, which leads to a phase delay of the circadian rhythm.
The analysis of the trials showed that there is no short-term advantage to using blue-light-filtering spectacles for reducing vision fatigue, compared with standard clear lenses. Only one of the studies examined the impact of blue-light-filtering glasses on eyesight, and it suggested that there was little to no effect.
Blue light itself cannot whiten the teeth. Instead, blue light is used to activate a chemical reaction. You'll apply a specialized whitening gel to the patient's teeth containing either carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. The blue light activates the compounds in the gel and helps break it apart faster.
Avoid looking at bright screens beginning two to three hours before bed. If you work a night shift or use a lot of electronic devices at night, consider wearing blue-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters the blue/green wavelength at night.
Warm light is best for the eyes. This includes filtered natural light and light produced by incandescent and LED light bulbs. Spread out lighting in your home and workspace to ensure sufficient lighting.
According to WebMD and eye care professionals, there is no substantial evidence that reading in the dark leads to long-term eye damage. However, don't turn off the lights just yet! While reading in dim light doesn't cause long-term damage, it can be uncomfortable for your eyes.
The largest source of blue light is sunlight, but is also emitted by laptops and computer monitors, smartphones, tablets, TV, fluorescent and CFL bulbs.
Light therapy, and blue light in particular. View Source , can help realign the body's circadian rhythms and improve sleep. Inversely, exposure to blue light in the hours leading up to bedtime can hinder sleep. Blue light suppresses the body's release of melatonin. View Source , a hormone that makes us feel drowsy.
What is the opposite of blue? In the additive, or RGB color system, the opposite of blue light source is yellow. Those two colors are the exact opposites in the RGB color wheel. In the subtractive color system, as when mixing inks, the opposite of blue is also yellow, but the hue of blue then is purplish.
Blue light has shorter wavelengths and higher energy than other colors. Some research shows a link between eye damage and short-wave blue light with wavelengths between 415 and 455 nanometers. Most of the light from the LEDs used in smartphones, TVs, and tablets has wavelengths between 400 and 490 nanometers.
A blue light filter is a feature or software that reduces the amount of blue light emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. It adjusts the color temperature of the screen to warmer tones, which can help reduce eye strain and improve sleep quality.
Remember that blue light is particularly important in regulating your circadian rhythm, because it creates the strongest response from the ipRGC photoreceptors. These receptors play an important role in the circadian rhythm and mood regulation.
LED streetlights use less energy and have a longer lifespan. But they produce more blue light than traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) street lights. LED lamps have cooler colour temperatures, so they emit more blue light.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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