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Starlight Pro curing lights from Mectron

Tony Beale explains how LED technology has played its part in their development

Figure 1: The Starlight Pro curing light

The strength and durability of composite restorations is very much dependent upon the effectiveness of the curing light used, and this is particularly so where a considerable depth of material has been placed. Current technology has seen the widespread use of LEDs (light emitting diodes) for the curing of dental composites, and it would appear that this method is very successful when used with most commercially available composite materials. There has also been a demand from the profession for curing lights that are smaller, cordless, re-chargeable, and easier to use. The Italian company Mectron, who invented the first LED curing lights in 2001, has now brought a very interesting and innovative range of curing lights to the market that can satisfy virtually all the practitioners requirements, and these are now available in the UK from Optident Ltd.

Figure 2: The three Starlight Pro Sport Edition curing lights

Green control LEDs are used to indicate mains supply to the charger unit, the charging process and power output. An integrated radiometer checks and controls the power output (1300mW/cm2), which will be maintained at a constant level, and the lithium-ion battery can be recharged in just 90 minutes. With a battery capacity of 320 10-second cycles, this offers operators considerable scope for may applications before recharging. Operators will be warned of low battery level by an audible warning signal, but on hearing this will still have enough battery power to complete six more cycles before recharging is necessary. Cleaning and disinfection of the outer casing is easy, as this is smooth and without any etched or serrated areas. For those who wish to colour coordinate, a choice of several bright colours is available to suit all tastes, and for those users who are looking for something completely different, Mectron has introduced a Sport Edition of the Starlight Pro which has what is described as the carbon fibre look. It is essentially the same as the Pro model but is available in shiny red, shiny black or matt black finish, with both the Starlight Pro and Sport versions weighing only 105 grams.

Figure 3: The Starlight SLER curing light

shrinkage. Control of temperature will protect against interface debonding, which in turn can prevent marginal leakage, and control of shrinkage literally allows the composite material to relax, therefore reducing stress at the end of the curing cycle. This will help reduce the possibility of microfractures in both the composite and the dentinal substrate. The Starlight SLER has a slightly higher power output of 1400mW/cm2, and a choice of six operating modes which can be selected for either fast or optimised cures with the additional option of using the soft mode at 70% light intensity.
Mectron curing lights are available from Optident Ltd, International Development Centre, Valley Drive, Ilkley, LS29 8AL. Call 01943 605050, email sales@optident.co.uk or visit www.optident.co.uk.

The Starlight Pro curing light

The Mectron Starlight Pro is a stylish lightweight, rechargeable, yet powerful LED curing light that is capable of curing all composites that use camphoroquinone inhibitors. It runs cool, and does not require any cooling mechanism such as an integrated fan because no heat is generated when in use. The LEDs emit light within a variable wavelength spectrum of between 440nm and 480nm, reaching a peak at 460nm. The light has two very useful operational modes a fast mode, which delivers a 10 seconds cure with an acoustic signal at the start and end of the cycle, and a slow rise or progressive mode of 20 seconds with an acoustic signal after 10 seconds and at completion of the cycle.

The Starlight SLER curing light

SLER stands for Soft Light Energy Release and Mectron has patented this unique technology which modulates and controls the temperature and shrinkage of the composite, thus improving its mechanical properties, and has incorporated this technology into the Starlight SLER curing light. The advantages that SLER can bring to dental composite curing are based on the control of both temperature and