In Vivo Temperature Changes Caused by Exposure to Short- and Long-wavelengths

Light-cured materials revolutionized dentistry as they allowed to control the setting of the materials in a timely manner simply upon light exposure. Although blue light has been routinely used to cure dental restorative materials for over 50 years, there are still potential risks to dental patients. These risks include gingiva burn or recession and pulp inflammation that can lead to necrosis in more severe situations due to the heat generated by this short wavelength (blue light). In addition, blue light has direct deleterious effects on cells, including irreversible imbalance in reactive oxygen species (ROS), damage to the mitochondrial DNA, and promoting collagen degradation. On the other hand, long wavelengths (such as red light) are known to have opposite effects, reducing inflammation and increasing cell proliferation. Although red light has been already introduced in the market and is currently being used in patients for several reasons, no in vivo data exist on the use of red-light applied to restorative procedures. Thus, this study aims to specifically measure the in vivo temperature rise in the tooth and gingival tissues surrounding restorative procedures using blue light (standard of care) and red light (investigational device) and evaluate/compare its post-operative sensitivity rates. The research hypothesis is that red light will generate less heat and less post-operative sensitivity than blue light (standard of care) while being used in dental restorative procedures.