You are a human being. Earth-shattering start to this Pearl! As a human being, the device that you use more than any other in your entire life is your smartphone. You are also a dentist—again, hard-hitting journalism here! As a dentist, the device you use second most in your life is a curing light. Pretty much all restorative dentistry in 2020 relies on a curing light. That being said, your curing light is vitally important to your dentistry and your practice. You need several things in a curing light. The Radii Xpert by SDI has all of those things.
The first thing you need is a wide spectrum of cure. Most photo initiator systems cure between 380 nm and 500 nm wavelengths. The Radii Xpert splits the difference and operates between 440 nm and 480 nm, making sure that you can cure all of today’s commercially available composites.
The next thing you need in a curing light is a high output of power. We are asking our lights to do more today than we ever have. With bulk-fill composites, we oftentimes need to cure 5 mm of resin. We need a light with muscles to do that. The Radii Xpert has those muscles, spitting out 1500 mW/CM2 of power. That will get to the floor of that deep box or to the resin cement under that zirconia crown.
The third property you need in a curing light is a consistent light intensity. We know we should hold our curing light in direct contact with the material we are trying to cure. However, that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes we can’t physically get to the spot we need. Sometimes we drift due to distraction or fatigue. The real world exists, and we live in it.
So, we won’t always be perfect light curers. Having a light that keeps that intensity over a small distance is important. The Radii Xpert loses very little intensity when a short distance is between the material and the light because of a well collimated and consistent beam profile. This promotes an even and thorough cure, something we all need!
The fourth thing that a curing light needs is a way to check its function. The Radii Xpert charging base has a radiometer built in to assess the health of your curing light. This should be done weekly to ensure proper function and curing. Just because your light looks like it is working well to your naked eye doesn’t mean that it is. We have to be checking our lights periodically to ensure proper function. The Radii Expert makes it easy.
Finally, we need some flexibility with our curing light. The Radii Xpert has multiple tips that can give you more functionality, with additional tips such as a diagnostic tip for transilluminating, a full-arch bleaching attachment, and an orthodontic bonding attachment. More flexibility means more uses for your money!
The Radii Xpert is a great choice for a workhorse curing light in your practice. It gives you functionality and flexibility for everyday use. Triple off the center field wall for SDI!
Joshua Austin, DDS, FAGD, FACD, writes the Pearls for Your Practice column in Dental Economics. After graduating from the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School, Dr. Austin associated for several years. In October of 2009, he opened a solo general practice in a suburban area of San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Austin is involved in all levels of organized dentistry and can be reached at [email protected].
