Use of Light Curing Units in Orthodontics: A Review

Abstract

Light curing units, because of their wide field of applications, are now indispensable for any orthodontist or a general dentist, and hence it is very important to be familiar with the various types of light curing units, their history, specifications, advantages, and disadvantages. To find the articles appropriate for this systematic review, a search was conducted in the database – PubMed (from 1966 to March 2010) – using the terms “curing lights orthodontics” in the search box. Eligibility of the selected studies was determined by reading the abstracts of articles identified by the search. All the articles that seemed to meet the inclusion criteria of the systematic review topic were selected and the actual articles collected. The reference lists of the retrieved articles were also hand searched for any applicable studies that may have been missed in the database searches. When selecting curing lights for an office, many variables need to be considered. Armed with knowledge about each curing-light category, orthodontists can evaluate their unique practice style and select the appropriate light or lights.