Bulkfill Resin Composite Polymerization Efficiency by Monowave vs. Polywave Light Curing Units: A Systematic Review of In Vitro Studies
Source abstract
Abstract
Objective: This systematic review aimed to analyze if polywave light curing units can polymerize Bulk Fill resin composites better than monowave. Materials and methods: Inclusion criteria were in vitro studies that evaluated the polymerization of Bulk Fill resin composites by monowave and/or polywave light curing units. Selection of studies, data extraction, and risk-of-bias analysis were performed. Data from selected studies were qualitatively analyzed. A systematic search was performed in May 2025 using PubMed/Medline, EBSCO/Medline, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases and grey literature in English, and 788 studies were found. Results: A total of 65 studies were included in the qualitative analysis. Seventeen of them were investigating both monowave and polywave light-curing units for the polymerization of Bulk Fill resin composites. The evidence was graded as medium quality due to the medium risk of bias for most studies. Polywave LED LCUs improved the microhardness ratio, or DC, of Bulk Fill resin composite compared to monowave in 3 of the included studies, while 3 studies revealed that monowave LED LCUs demonstrated a favorable microhardness ratio, or DC, compared to polywave, and the rest of the 11 studies presented material-dependent results. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies included, a meta-analysis was not performed. Conclusion: The existing studies, with their limitations, revealed that polywave light curing units do not seem to have an advantage over monowave in the polymerization of Bulk Fill resin composites.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Dental materials and restorations · Dental Erosion and Treatment · Surgical Sutures and Adhesives
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Operative Dentistry, Dental School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
References (100+)
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