The Importance of Curing Light Infection Control

As indicated by the CDC, the “Best Remedy for COVID-19 Is Prevention”. As health professionals in the current climate, now is a particularly prudent time for review and re-evaluation of infection control.

Why the curing light?

Like most tools that are used repeatedly across patients, it’s important that your curing light is thoroughly cleaned between uses, with special consideration for how your particular model needs to be maintained.

Your light is regularly exposed to contaminants such as saliva or blood, and therefore acts as a prime candidate for transmission of pathogens between patients. It has been identified that as many as two-thirds of dental practitioners do not consistently use infection control barriers on the tips of curing units and that almost 80% of light units showed material particle buildup on light-curing tips (1).

What should I do?

Protect and disinfect, and ensure your infection control allows polymerization to take place effectively.

There are several common methods for infection control but many can negatively impact performance of the light, some as much as 30 to 40%! (2)

This is true primarily for opaque barriers, but repeated autoclaving can also impede irradiance significantly (3).

You must ensure the curing light is safely disinfected and effectively performing. In many cases, a thin, clear infection control barrier will have a mild effect that can be accommodated accordingly by adjusting your cure times to respond to the new irradiance value. Measuring your light is essential for this.

We recommend:

• Test irradiance with and without your barrier to learn:

  • the impact of your barrier to see if it’s suitable

  • the new irradiance to look up in the instructions for use of your materials

• Use caution when selecting a barrier; avoid gloves or opaque sleeves

• Apply the barrier properly (do not place the seam across the tip where light exits)

• Clean the light guide between uses, even if it is fully covered (4)

• Review your manufacturer’s instructions for light maintenance; some lights cannot be autoclaved

• Test your light regularly

It’s never too soon to review and update your infection control, especially now, when these concerns are top of mind for you and your patients.

Ultimately, our goal is to help you perform your craft knowing that your patient is safe and that their restorations will last; through the current difficulties of COVID-19 and long after.

Testing your curing lights with infection control barriers

Using Bluelight CheckUp, you can note in-app whether you’ve tested with or without a barrier and see your curing times without needing to look up the additional info after you measure.

(1) Bansal, Rajinder, et al. "Assessment of efficacy and maintenance of light-curing units in dental offices across Punjab: A clinical survey." Indian Journal of Dental Sciences 11.1 (2019): 42.

(2) McAndrew, Robert, et al. "The effect of disposable infection control barriers and physical damage on the power output of light curing units and light curing tips." British dental journal 210.8 (2011): E12-E12.

(3) AlShaafi, Maan M. "Effects of different infection control methods on the intensity output of LeD Light-Curing Units." King Saud University Journal of Dental Sciences 4.1 (2013): 27-31.

(4) CDA. “Practical How To: How do you clean your light curing unit?” (2014) http://oasisdiscussions.ca/2014/07/03/htcl/