Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604
DOI 10.1007/s10103-012-1117-0
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Mechanical properties of composite resins light-cured
using a blue DPSS laser
Du-Man Baek & Jeong-Kil Park & Sung-Ae Son &
Ching-Chang Ko & Franklin Garcia-Godoy &
Hyung-Il Kim & Yong Hoon Kwon
Received: 5 January 2012 / Accepted: 1 May 2012 / Published online: 15 May 2012
# Springer-Verlag London Ltd 2012
Abstract Lasers have many favorable features as a light
source owing to their monochromaticity and coherence.
This study examined the mechanical properties of compos-
ite resins that were light-cured using a diode-pumped solid
state (DPSS) laser. Eight composite resins were light-cured
using four different light sources (one quartz–tungsten–hal-
ogen (QTH), two light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and one
DPSS laser with a wavelength of 473 nm). The light inten-
sity of the DPSS laser and remaining light-curing units were
approximately 500 and 900 mW/cm2, respectively. The
microhardness, flexural properties, and compressive proper-
ties were evaluated using the Vickers hardness test, three-
point bending test, and compression test, respectively. In
most cases, the microhardness, flexural properties, and
Y. H. Kwon (*)
Department of Dental Materials, Medical Research Institute
and School of Dentistry, Pusan National University,
Yangsan 626-870, South Korea
e-mail: y0k0916@pusan.ac.kr
D.-M. Baek : H.-I. Kim
Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry,
Pusan National University,
Yangsan 626-870, South Korea
J.-K. Park : S.-A. Son
Department of Operative Dentistry, School of Dentistry,
Pusan National University,
Yangsan 626-870, South Korea
C.-C. Ko
Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry,
University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill, NC, USA
F. Garcia-Godoy
College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee,
Memphis, TN, USA
compressive properties of the specimens light-cured using
the DPSS laser were similar to those obtained using the
other light-curing units. Within the limits of the study, the
microhardness, flexural modulus, and compressive strength
were linearly correlated with the filler content (in weight
percent). The flexural modulus and compressive modulus
were also linearly correlated with the microhardness. Even
with a much lower light intensity, the DPSS laser with a
wavelength of 473 nm can polymerize composite resins and
give comparable mechanical properties to those obtained
using the other light-curing units.
Keywords DPSS laser . Composite resin . Microhardness .
Flexural properties . Compressive properties
Introduction
Since the development of bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate
(Bis-GMA), light-curing composite resins have attracted
much attention both from patients and practitioners due to
their excellent physical properties, aesthetics, and easy-to-
use nature, which harmonize with the host teeth and open-
mouse moiety.
In the formulation of light-curing composite resins,
dimethacrylate-based Bis-GMA became one of the principal
monomers since its introduction in the 1960s. As a back-
bone monomer, Bis-GMA is extremely viscous, so any low
molecular weight monomers are needed to increase the
softness and the working time for practitioners. Urethane
dimethacrylate and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were
developed as diluents. Hydrophobic monomer Bis-EMA
was developed as a substitute for Bis-GMA [1, 2]. These
monomers are the main constituents of most contemporary
composite resins. Thus far, considerable effort has been
598
made to develop new monomers which have improved wear
resistance and less polymerization shrinkage and stress.
Among them, ormocers (organically modified ceramics) and
siloranes (oxirane and siloxane molecules) are the remarkable
monomers in the recent commercial products [3, 4].
Fillers are important in that they basically determine the
mechanical properties of composite resins. In addition, they
affect polymerization shrinkage, wear, surface roughness,
and polishability. Concerning the aesthetics, fillers affect
the translucency, opalescence, and fluorescence. The filler
size is one factor that classifies composite resins. Many of
the recently available composite resins contain hybrid,
micro-hybrid, and nano-hybrid fillers [5, 6]. Using the nano-
technology, the development of inorganic nanometric par-
ticles and nanoclusters has become possible. As a result,
composite resins that contain fillers over 80 wt% are com-
mon. In conjunction with diverse monomer commixtures
and content ratios, variations in the filler size, content,
morphology, and distribution made the production of com-
posite resins which belong to different categories possible.
The polymerization process of light-curing composite
resins is initiated by external blue light. Since the process
is initiated through the activation of a photoinitiator by blue
light, the spectral coincidence between the emission light
and absorbing photoinitiator is essential for maximal poly-
merization. In contemporary composite resins, camphorqui-
none (CQ) is the principal photoinitiator, so the emission
light from the light-curing units (LCUs) is optimally adjust-
ed to maximize the activation of CQ depending on the
activation strategy. quartz–tungsten–halogen (QTH) lamp-
based LCUs serve as a conventional unit [7–9]. They have
been used widely for a long time due to their convenience
and reasonable price. However, the QTH lamp has a limited
lifetime and produces considerable heat during operation.
Currently, QTH units are being replaced rapidly by light-
emitting diode (LED) LCUs [10–12]. LED LCUs have a
long lifetime and produce less heat than QTH lamps during
operation. They are much handy and smaller than QTH
units, and their light intensities are generally greater than
1,000 mW/cm2. However, the initial light intensity and the
durability of battery gradually decrease after repeated use
due to electrical limitations. The argon laser was introduced
due to its extremely high light flux, coherence, and mono-
chromaticity compared to the other LCUs. The argon laser
could achieve sufficient light curing of composite resins
even with extremely narrow spectral match at the tail part
of CQ's absorption spectrum [13, 14]. Nevertheless, the
argon laser is not as popular as other LCUs due to its high
cost. As the alternative for the argon laser, a diode-pumped
solid state (DPSS) laser with a wavelength of 473 nm has
been suggested due to its small and cost-effective features,
even though this laser has never been used for dental prac-
tice [15]. Thus far, various DPSS lasers (green, yellow, and
Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604
orange) have been studied as light sources for flow cytom-
eters [16, 17]. According to a study [18], light irradiation
with 400 mW/cm2 for 40 s is sufficient to cure composite
resins of 2 mm in thickness, so any LCU can cure composite
resins if it emits light of intensity greater than 400 mW/cm2.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a
DPSS laser with a wavelength of 473 nm on the mechanical
properties of various composite resins. The microhardness,
flexural properties, and compressive properties were mea-
sured to determine the feasibility of the DPSS laser as a light
source for the light curing of composite resins.
Materials and methods
Composite resins and LCUs
For the study, eight composite resins were chosen. Table 1
lists their composition and filler types. For light curing, a
DPSS laser with a wavelength of 473 nm (LAS) (LVI-
VA473-100, LVI Tech., Seoul, South Korea) and three dif-
ferent LCUs were used [one QTH, (Hilux 601 (HX), First
Medica, Greensboro, NC, USA); two LEDs (L.E. Demetron
(DE), Kerr, Danbury, CT, USA; G-Light (GL), GC Corp.,
Tokyo, Japan)]. Figure 1 shows the emission spectra of the
light sources, which were measured using a spectrometer
(SpectroPro-500, Acton Research, Acton, MA, USA). The
output power and the spot size of the DPSS laser beam were
140 mW (PM3/FIELDMAX, Coherent, Portland, OR,
USA) and 6 mm, respectively. The resultant light intensity
was approximately 500 mW/cm2. That of the remaining
LCUs was approximately 900 mW/cm2, as measured using
the built-in radiometer.
Microhardness test
To measure the surface microhardness of the specimens, a
metal mold (4×2×3 mm) was filled with the resin and light-
cured for 40 s using each LCU. The cured specimens were
removed from the mold and aged for 24 h in a 37°C dark
chamber. The microhardness of the top (z00) and bottom
(z03 mm) surfaces was measured using a Vickers hardness
tester (MVK-H1, Akashi, Tokyo, Japan). For the measure-
ment, microindentations (n012 for each test condition) were
made on each surface under a 200-gf load and 10-s dwell time.
Three-point bending test
To evaluate the flexural properties (flexural strength and
modulus), a metal mold (25×2×2 mm) was filled with the
resin according to the ISO 4049 standards [19]. Both the top
and bottom surfaces of the mold were covered with glass
slides to make the surface flat. Since the specimen was
Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604 599

Table 1 Composition of the nanocomposite resins tested in this study

Code Composition Filler type/shade Filler content Manufacturer

vol%/wt%

AL Bis-GMA, Bis-EMA, Glass frit, amorphous silica, A3 74/88 Bisco, Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA
TEGDMA
CX Methacrylate-modified Ba–Al–borosilicate glass, 57/76 Dentsply/DeTrey, Konstanz, Germany
polysiloxane, dimethacrylate methacrylate-functionalized SiO2
resin nanofiller, Compule M5 (A3, B3)
ES Urethane-modified Bis-GMA Ba–B–F–Al–silicate glass, TiO2, 60/77 Dentsply/DeTrey, Konstanz, Germany
dimethacrylate, Bis-EMA, nanofiller silica, Body A3
TEGDMA
P4 Bis-GMA, TEGDMA Prepolymerized (PPF) filler, 59/77 Kerr, Orange, CA, USA
barium glass, silica nanoparticles,
Body A3
PR Bis-EMA, TEGDMA, Prepolymerized (PPF) filler, 71.2/84 Kerr, Orange, CA, USA
barium glass, silica nanoparticles,
Body A3
QU Bis-GMA, TEGDMA Silica–zirconia filler, composite 71/82 Tokuyama, Tokyo, Japan
filler, A3
Z2 Bis-GMA, Bis-EMA, UDMA, Zirconia, silica, A3 60/84.5 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA
TEGDMA
Z3 Bis-GMA, UDMA, TEGDMA, Non-aggregated silica, zirconia/ 59.5/82 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA
Bis-EMA silica, nanosilica, nanocluster, A3

AL Aelite LS, CX Ceram X, ES Esthet X, P4 Point 4, PR Premise, QU Estelite Sigma Quick, Z2 Filtek Z250, Z3 Filtek Z350, Bis-EMA ethoxylated
bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate, Bis-GMA bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate, TEGDMA triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, UDMA urethane
dimethacrylate

much wider (25 mm) than the tip size (8 mm), four light

exposures on each side were performed by overlapping the σf ¼ 3LP= 2WH 2
curing light (in case of LAS, five light exposures were where L is the distance between the supports (20 mm), P is
given). Each exposure was continued for 40 s. After light the maximum failure load (in newton), W is the width
curing both sides, the specimens (n05 for each test condi- (2 mm), and H is the height (2 mm) of the specimen. The
tion) were removed from the mold and aged for 24 h in a flexural modulus (FM) (E in gigapascals) was obtained
dark chamber at 37°C. After 24 h, the specimens were using the following formula:
loaded onto a universal test machine (Instron 3345, Grove


City, PA, USA) at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The E ¼ ðP=DÞ  L3 = 4WH 3
flexural strength (FS) (σf in megapascals) was obtained
where P/D is the slope of the linear portion in the load–
using the following formula:
displacement curve.

Compression test

To evaluate the compressive properties (compressive

Fig. 1 Emission spectra of the LCUs used and the absorption spec-
trum of CQ
strength and modulus), a cylinder-type metal mold (inner
diameter, 3 mm; height, 6 mm) was filled with the resin. The
metal mold was composed of two identical hollow hemi-
cylinders combining together. Both the top and bottom
surfaces were covered with glass slides to make the surface
flat and then irradiated for 5 s (light curing should be
performed through the lateral exposure because the light
does not fully reach to the bottom surface). Subsequently,
one compartment of the metal mold was removed by sliding.
The exposed surface was light-cured for 40 s. The opposite
side was also light-cured for 40 s after removing the other
compartment. The light-cured specimens were aged for 24 h
in a 37°C dark chamber. Compression tests were performed
600 Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604

using a universal test machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/
min. The compressive strength (CS) (σc in megapascals)
was obtained using the following formula:
σc ¼ P=A
where P is the maximum failure load (in newton) and A is
the cross-sectional area of the specimen. The modulus (CM)
of the specimens is the slope of the linear portion of the
load–displacement curve.
Statistical analysis
The acquired data was analyzed by a two-way ANOVA at
the 0.05 level of significance. A Tukey's test was followed
with a multiple comparison when necessary.
Results
HX showed the widest overlap with the absorption spectrum
of CQ, whereas LAS showed the least match (Fig. 1) but the
narrowest bandwidth at 473 nm. GL has a secondary emis-
sion peak near 405 nm, but the peak intensity is much lower
than the principal peak near 470 nm.
Table 2 shows the microhardness of the specimens light-
cured using various LCUs. On the top surface, within the same
resin product, the microhardness by each LCU was similar
except for AL (despite the statistical difference between the
LCUs). On the bottom surface, DE yielded a significantly
different microhardness compared to that of the other LCUs,
even though the values were in the same range. The micro-
hardness correlated with the filler content (in weight percent)
only on the top surface (R, 0.67–0.88 depends on the LCU).
Table 3 shows the flexural properties of the specimens
cured using the various LCUs. The FS ranged 84.1–
158.4 MPa and depends on the resin product and LCU.
Among the specimens, Z2 showed the highest FS (141.1–
158.4 MPa). The FM ranged 9.3–23.5 GPa and depends on
the resin product and LCU. The light-cured specimens using
LAS showed a similar level of FS and FM compared to those
obtained using the other LCUs (FS of AL and Z3 and FM of
AL were exceptional cases).
Table 4 shows the compressive properties of the specimens
cured using the various LCUs. The specimens light-cured
using the LAS showed a similar CS to those cured using the
remaining LCUs, even though CX and PR had an exception-
ally high CS value. In the case of CM, the specimens light-
cured using LAS showed a significantly different (slight higher
in most cases) CM than those obtained using the other LCUs.
Table 5 shows the correlation between parameters
obtained using various LCUs. The microhardness of the
specimens correlated linearly with both the FM (R, 0.92–
0.98) and CM (R, 0.80–0.93). The FM of the specimens also
correlated linearly with the CM (R, 0.76–0.93).
Discussion
This study examined the effect of the 473-nm DPSS laser on
the mechanical properties of various composite resins by

Table 2 Microhardness (HV) of

the composite resins cured with Light-curing unit
different LCUs
Product HXA DEB GLB LASC p value

AL1 Top surface 102.7±3.2 90.3±3.5 107.4±3.7 68.8±2.1

CX2 53.2±2.9 57.2±2.6 52.1±2.2 55.8±1.8 α<0.001
ES3 53.7±2.4 50.1±1.8 49.2±2.3 52.7±1.5 β<0.001
P44 53.8±2.5 54.9±2.3 52.9±1.9 52.0±1.5 α×β<0.001
PR5 66.1±3.2 68.6±3.7 63.9±3.5 64.9±1.3
QU34 55.4±2.7 51.4±2.3 53.1±2.6 51.4±1.6
Z26 83.2±2.3 85.6±2.5 80.9±2.1 85.4±1.6
Z37 73.1±2.7 72.0±2.2 68.4±2.7 72.0±1.4
Product HXA DEB GLA LASA
AL1 Bottom surface 33.8±2.3 30.7±3.2 30.9±2.6 30.5±1.7
Statistically significant differ-
ence on light-curing unit is CX2 45.1±2.6 50.1±2.7 40.8±3.2 43.7±1.8 α<0.001
shown by superscript capital let- ES1 27.3±2.5 29.3±3.6 32.7±2.9 36.1±1.3 β<0.001
ters A, B, and C, on resin prod- P43 35.8±2.8 48.4±2.4 45.2±2.1 38.1±2.4 α×β<0.001
uct by superscript numbers 1, 2, PR4 51.2±2.5 59.8±3.2 50.7±3.3 45.4±2.7
3.... Same letters or numbers are
not significantly different (p> QU2 45.9±2.2 45.0±2.9 47.8±2.6 40.9±2.3
0.05). On p values, the letters α Z25 72.9±2.4 77.1±2.8 71.9±3.8 76.0±2.2
and β denote resin product and Z36 53.9±2.9 62.3±2.5 49.9±2.7 54.8±1.7
light-curing unit, respectively
Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604 601

Table 3 Flexural properties of the composite resins cured with different LCUs

Light-curing unit

Product HXA DEAB GLA LASB p value

Flexural strength (MPa) AL12 129.2±12.5 104.8±11.1 122.9±10.4 94.5±18.9

CX2 109.8±9.1 108.3±9.7 112.1±10.5 108.3±8.4 α<0.001
ES34 134.9±16.2 136.2±10.7 138.9±9.6 143.6±9.1 β00.017
P412 117.8±8.9 126.7±9.7 131.9±12.1 109.7±9.7 α×β<0.001
PR2 97.9±8.9 108.2±12.6 108.8±13.5 111.4±15.5
QU12 118.7±9.4 114.1±8.3 108.1±8.6 127.8±17.4
Z23 153.8±11.4 141.1±13.5 146.8±10.7 158.4±34.1
Z314 145.4±12.1 127.5±10.3 141.0±11.6 84.1±10.5
Product HXA DEB GLA LASA
Flexural modulus (GPa) AL1 22.6±3.2 16.2±2.4 23.5±2.5 15.9±1.7
CX2 9.4±1.6 9.3±1.4 9.6±1.3 11.3±0.3 α<0.001
ES2 11.3±1.4 11.4±1.5 11.2±1.7 12.4±0.5 β<0.001
P42 11.5±1.6 10.7±1.8 11.7±1.5 11.8±0.6 α×β<0.001
PR3 12.6±1.8 12.6±2.4 13.6±2.5 14.9±1.1
QU2 10.7±1.2 10.2±1.6 10.6±1.8 11.5±0.7
Z24 15.4±1.6 14.6±1.9 18.2±2.4 18.4±0.6
Z33 13.4±2.5 12.6±1.7 13.3±1.9 15.2±0.9

Statistically significant difference on light-curing unit is shown by superscript letters A, B, on resin product by superscript numbers 1, 2, 3,... Same
letters or numbers are not significantly different (p>0.05). On p-values, the letters α and β denote resin product and light-curing unit, respectively

Table 4 Compressive properties of the composite resins cured with different LCUs

Light-curing unit

Product HXAB DEA GLAB LASB p value

Compressive strength (MPa) AL12 262.7±23.6 254.2±14.6 273.6±16.8 240.6±44.0

CX3 207.4±20.4 197.8±15.4 203.9±12.7 261.0±43.9 α<0.001
ES1 253.6±23.1 248.3±23.7 247.5±23.6 258.3±30.4 β00.017
P41 258.4±10.3 227.2±16.9 264.1±16.4 259.3±49.1 α×β00.159
PR24 269.4±13.6 260.4±14.4 286.4±17.2 304.5±30.7
QU12 253.7±11.7 254.1±15.3 250.5±16.9 274.7±21.4
Z24 300.6±16.2 305.8±21.7 285.1±18.9 304.3±38.4
Z324 286.3±23.7 275.1±27.9 284.5±16.7 281.9±31.2
Product HXA DEA GLA LASB
Compressive modulus (GPa) AL1 4.5±0.5 4.4±0.3 4.6±0.3 4.4±0.1
CX23 3.4±0.3 3.6±0.4 3.4±0.4 4.0±0.4 α<0.001
ES2 3.3±0.3 3.8±0.4 3.7±0.4 4.3±0.2 β<0.001
P423 3.8±0.4 3.6±0.4 3.4±0.3 4.0±0.2 α×β<0.001
PR23 3.7±0.3 3.5±0.3 4.0±0.4 3.9±0.2
QU3 3.3±0.3 3.5±0.4 3.6±0.3 3.7±0.2
Z21 4.1±0.4 4.2±0.4 4.3±0.3 4.8±0.2
Z31 4.5±0.4 4.3±0.3 4.0±0.4 4.5±0.3

Statistically significant difference on light-curing unit is shown by superscript letters A, B, on resin product by superscript numbers 1, 2, 3,... Same
letters or numbers are not significantly different (p>0.05). On p-values, the letters α and β denote resin product and light-curing unit, respectively
602 Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604

Table 5 Correlation between parameters for the values obtained using microhardness on the bottom surface can be affected by
different LCUs
the light attenuation (usually the incident light attenuates
Flexural Compressive exponentially within the specimen [22]), factors such as
modulus modulus filler distribution, size, shape, and their interaction with the
monomer commixtures can be complicatedly involved in
R P R P
the light attenuation and resulting microhardness. Except
Microhardness HX vs. HX 0.96 <0.001 0.83 0.01 AL, the microhardness of the specimens light-cured using
DE vs. DE 0.92 <0.001 0.80 0.02 LAS showed similar values both on the top (LAS, 52.0–85.4
GL vs. GL 0.98 <0.001 0.93 <0.001 HV; the rest LCUs, 52.1–85.6 HV) and bottom (LAS, 30.5–
LAS vs. LAS 0.97 <0.001 0.82 <0.01 76.0 HV; the rest LCUs, 27.3–77.0 HV) surfaces compared
Flexural modulus HX vs. HX 0.76 0.03 with those obtained using the remaining LCUs (on the top
DE vs. DE 0.81 0.02 surface, AL by LAS was exceptionally low). A similar
GL vs. GL 0.93 <0.01 microhardness with the much lower light intensity LAS
LAS vs. LAS 0.80 0.02
(500 vs. 900 mW/cm2) highlights the potential of LAS as
a light source for light curing the composite resins.
From the three-point bending test, FS and FM were
determined. FS can be defined as a material's ability to resist
evaluating the microhardness, flexural properties, and com- deformation under load. Therefore, FS is related to the
pressive properties. In the light curing of composite resins, degree of resistance against external stress (mastication)
the degree of polymerization is strongly affected by the without fracture or permanent deformation. FM is related
incident light because the light provides the photons to the bending tendency of the material because it is deter-
essential for the initiation of polymerization process. The mined from the slope of the stress–strain (load–displace-
absorbed photons activate the photoinitiator (CQ) to form ment) curve produced by a flexural test. According to the
free radicals with the aid of amines, the photoaccelerators. evaluation, except AL and Z3, FS (108.3–158.4 MPa) and
As shown in Fig. 1, the spectral coincidence between the FM (11.3–18.4 GPa) of specimens light-cured using LAS
LCUs and photoinitiator is the apparent feature in the light- were similar to the other FS (97.9–153.8 MPa) and FM
curing composite resins. The width of the emission spec- (9.3–18.2 GPa) obtained in conjunction with the other
trum is the main difference between the LAS and the LCUs. In terms of the flexural properties, FM correlated
remaining LCUs. A narrow and sharp emission spectrum linearly with the filler content (in weight percent; R, 0.77–
is the characteristic feature of a laser. Therefore, the emis- 0.86 depends on the LCU), and such a correlation has been
sion wavelength of LAS is close to the absorption peak of reported by others [23–25]. In addition, the microhardness
CQ (near 460 nm). On the other hand, QTH and LEDs have of the top surface correlated linearly with the FM and CM.
a much wider spectral distribution than LAS, and their Since the microhardness appears more dependent on the
emission peak matches well with the absorption peak of material's microdurability or shear modulus than any rigidity
CQ. Unlike DE, GL has two emission peaks near 405 and of the material, the high correlation with FM probably
470 nm. However, the effect of this secondary peak on the reflects such dependence. Regarding the tested specimens,
polymerization of the CQ-based composite resins is ques- the estimated FM ranged from 11.3 to 18.4 GPa for LAS
tionable since the peak intensity near 405 nm is much lower and from 9.3 to 23.5 GPa for the remaining LCUs. These
than that of the principal peak intensity near 470 nm. In- values are similar to the FM of dentin (17–25 GPa) [26].
deed, the use of this secondary peak is the photoinitiation of The similar level of the FM values may indicate that the
the coinitiator contained in the CQ-based composite resins, tested specimens are compatible with the underlying dentin
mainly to overcome the color instability problem induced by after restoration. In the study, the FM also increased with
the yellow CQ [20]. Unlike CQ, currently available coini- increasing filler content (in weight percent) (R, 0.77–0.86).
tiators have their absorption peak in the ultraviolet region However, as the filler content is increased, there is a higher
[21, 22]. A discussion of the effect of dual-peak LEDs on likelihood of including defects during the manufacturing or
these coinitiators is beyond the scope of this study. packing processes. These defects may grow during loading,
The fillers play an essential role in the microhardness of leading to the initiation of fracture [27]. The influence of
the specimens in that they are the major constituents of the LCU on the flexural properties was not consistent both on
specimen. The filler content of the tested specimens was FS and FM. Therefore, the choice of LCU for the light
approximately 59–74 vol.% and 76–88 wt%. The micro- curing of composite resins may not be critical.
hardness of the top surface correlated (R, 0.67–0.88) with CS is the value of uniaxial compressive stress at the time
the filler content (in weight percent). However, no such the material fails. During compression by the load, the
correlation was found on the bottom surface. Since the material shrinks linearly and behaves plastically after
Lasers Med Sci (2013) 28:597–604
passing the yield point and then begins to collapse. Since CS
is one indicator of the force that the material is subjected to
during mastication, a high CS indicates high sustained re-
sistance against external stress [28, 29]. The specimens
tested in this study generally have high filler content be-
cause of their containing of nanofillers. The nanoparticles
included will reduce the interparticle spacing, decrease the
strain localization, and increase the fatigue resistance [5, 30,
31]. On the other hand, there will be an increase in the
number of defects due to the increased volume of fillers.
The CS of the tested specimens correlated with the filler
content (in weight percent) in the range of 0.24 to 0.70.
However, if one product (AL) is excluded, the correlation
coefficient can change to 0.77–0.94. In terms of the filler
content, AL contains the greatest amount of fillers (88 wt%),
but its CS is not the highest. Therefore, the correlation
coefficient can change significantly depending on the choice
of resin product. The flexural and compressive properties
evaluated in this study were generally similar to the values
reported by other researchers [32, 33]. Inconsistent values
among reports are due to the different experimental condi-
tions, such as specimen's dimension, light intensity, light-
curing time, aging condition, crosshead speed, etc. In the
compressive properties, the effect of each LCU on the CS
and CM was not consistent. LAS achieved a similar CS and
CM to those achieved by the remaining LCUs even with a
much lower light intensity.
Conclusions
This study evaluated the mechanical properties of the vari-
ous composite resins light-cured using different LCUs. In
most cases, the specimens light-cured using LAS showed a
similar microhardness, FS, FM, CS, and CM to those
obtained using QTH and LED units. Within the limits of
this study, the filler content (in weight percent) has a corre-
lation with the microhardness, FM, and CS. In addition, the
microhardness had a correlation with the FM and CM. The
results obtained highlight the potential of LAS as a light
source for the light curing of various composite resins with a
much lower light intensity than the remaining LCUs.
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