White composite material is the current preference for dental practitioners, a material that hardens when exposed to light. Unfortunately, the material doesn?t permit deep penetration of light, causing the curing process to be done in steps.
Using the element Germanium, Professor Robert Liska and his team have found that, ?this problem can now be solved with a new Germanium-based molecule. It only makes up 0.04% of the composite material, but it plays a crucial role. The molecule is split into 2 parts by blue light, creating radicals, which initiate a chain reaction: molecular compounds?already present in the filling?assemble into polymers and the material hardens.?
Ivoclar Vivadent tested the new concoction. With the new compound, the hardening depth could be increased from 2 mm to 4 mm, reducing the duration of the procedure.