Hardness evaluation of composite resins cured with QTH and LED

Today light cured composites are widely used. Physical and mechanical properties of composites are related to degree of conversion. Light curing unit is an important factor for composite polymerization. Aim of this study is evaluation of composite hardness using halogen and LED light curing units. In this invitro study, 30 samples of Filtek Z250 and C-Fill composite resin were provided. Samples were light cured with Ultralume 2, Valo and Astralis 7. Vickers hardness number (VHN) was measured in 0, 1, 2 mm depth. Statistical analysis used: Data analysed by SPSS software and compared with each other by T-test, one-way and two-way ANOVA and Post-hoc Tukey test. In Filtek Z250, at all surfaces, VHN of Ultralume 2 was higher than VHN of Valo and Astralis 7. In C-Fill composite, in depth of 0, 1 mm, light curing devices showed different results but in depth of 2 mm, performance of all devices was rather similar. Before using new brands of composites, it is better to investigate their characteristics by light curing devices.