Would your DAs pass this test? If not, let’s get them trained.

You have heard us talk about the importance of light testing until we are blue (pun intended) in the face, but what you may not know is how important proper training is to the entire process of light-curing.  

To demonstrate it, before a recent training workshop with a group of dental assistants, we had a little fun and put 15 of them through our curing challenge using our patient simulator, MARC. Each DA tried two different lights to cure a deep posterior filling the same way they would in a normal clinical setting.  

The first light had a basic design with an 8mm tip and a high angle. Even this one chart shows how user technique can impact the quality of the cure - given a range of 2-75% across our users.

Of course, when we switched to a more advanced light design, you can certainly see an improvement in the overall irradiance levels. The chart below shows the same 15 DA’s curing the same filling on MARC, but this time using a light with a 10mm tip and a low-profile angle. These results alone were enough to make some of them want a new light at their clinic!

Then we conducted our training session. Educating them on the key factors to consider when light-curing, the correct way to place an infection control barrier, proper safety measures and more. All training that they did not receive in school but should have. We wrote a blog on that a while back that’s worth revisiting.  

After the training we had all 15 of our curing challenge participants cure the same deep posterior filling on MARC using another advanced style light with a 10mm tip and a low profile and check out their results!  

Almost all participants saw a significant improvement in the irradiance output, and more importantly, they recognized how good light design lowers technique sensitivity and when combined with proper training, ensures a better cure! Our mission was accomplished and we had a little friendly competition along the way. 

If your DSO or dental school is interested in our training options - from online to in-person - contact our Training Guru and Chief Scientist, Chris Felix now.