Photopolymerization of dental resin as restorative material using an argon laser

The effect of the 488-nm wavelength of argon laser at different power densities and irradiation times on the degree of conversion (DC), temperature rise, water sorption, solubility, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and microhardness of bisphenole A glycol dimethacrylate and triethylen glycol dimethacrylate with a mass ratio of 75:25 was studied. Camphorquinone and N,N′-dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate were added to the monomer as a photo initiator system. The DC% of the resin was measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The maximum DC% (50%), which was reached in 20 s, and temperature rise because of the reaction (13.5°C) were both higher at 1075 than 700 mW/cm². Water sorption and solubility were measured according to ISO4049, which in our case were 23.7 and 2.20 μg/mm³ at 1075 mW/cm², respectively. A flexural modulus of 1.1 GPa and microhardness of 19.6 kg/mm² were achieved above the power density. No significant difference was observed (i.e., p > 0.05) for water sorption and flexural strength at 700 and 1075 mW/cm².