Influence of photoinitiators and light sources on the degree of conversion of experimental resin cements Influência de fotoiniciadores e fontes de luz no grau de conversão de cimentos resinosos experimentais

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion (DC) of seven experimental resin cements formulated with different photoinitiators when activated by two light-curing units (LCUs) through ceramic material. Material and Methods: Seven resin blends with different camphorquinone (CQ) and/or phenyl propanedione (PPD) ratios were prepared: C5: 0.5% wt CQ; C8: 0.8% wt CQ; P5: 0.5% wt PPD; P8: 0.8% wt PPD; C1P4: 0.1% wt CQ and 0.4% wt PPD; C4P1: 0.4% wt CQ and 0.1% wt PPD; and C4P4: 0.4% wt CQ and 0.4% wt PPD. Each mixture was loaded with 65% wt of silanized filler particles. For photoactivation procedures, two LCUs were used: a quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) and a light emitting diode (LED). Irradiance (mW/ cm²) was calculated by the ratio of the output power by the area of the tip. DC was assessed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Data were submitted to a two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (5%). Results: DC values do not show significant differences for LCUs regardless of the photoinitiator type. The highest DC was found for experimental cement P8 and the lowest for C5. Intermediate DC values were found for the other cements. However, when QTH was used, P8 exhibited differences among C1P4, C4P1 and C5; whereas when LED was used, P8 differed only for C4P1 and C5. Conclusion: Thus, PPD is a viable alternative for the manufacture of photoactivated cements, and the PPD/CQ association may also be viable since C4P4 was similar to P8.