Recently, I had a normal day in the office, a fully booked day of routine restorative dentistry. It included a mix of direct and indirect restorative. Delivering some clear aligners. Inserting a couple of crowns. Just a regular old basic day.
During that day, I counted the number of procedures that I used a curing light on. Of my 18 appointments on the schedule, 16 required use of my curing light. This little handheld piece of equipment is responsible for the success of so much of what we do, so we need a good one—and Celalux 3 by Voco is a great choice.
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This is a high-power curing light that can handle all your restorative dentistry needs. It has a significant output power of 1300 mw/cm2, which can cure any of today’s modern bulk-fill materials with ease, as well as resin cements through all-ceramic crowns. We need that high output power, considering how much of our material we’re curing.
The Celalux 3 also has a broad spectrum of cure. At a wavelength of 450-480 nm, it can cure any widely used camphorqunione-based light-cured material. The wider wavelength of cure is an advantage of LED curing lights; it’s nice to not have to worry if your curing light can handle the material.
One great feature of the Celalux 3 is the ergonomics of the light itself. It weighs only 70 grams and is super slim. It is pen shaped and fits in the hand well. It’s made of sturdy metal but doesn’t feel too heavy. Many curing lights just make an audible beep or noise when they reach certain curing times. The Celalux also makes a noise but also vibrates, which I like because operatories are loud! Suction is going and music is playing, so having more than just an auditory cue for when we’ve reached the desired time is very helpful.
The charging cradle for the Celalux 3 can charge the light itself with one battery attached. It has another slot to charge a separate battery so there is always one ready to go. Another nice feature is the autoclavable light guide with an 8 mm curing diameter. Having a light guide that can pop off and is safe to be autoclaved helps prevent some infection control issues common with many curing lights.
The key to successful restorative dentistry is predictability, such as having a solid curing light that works every time. There are few things I can always depend on in my practice, but I want one of them to be my curing light. That is what Celalux 3 can do.
Editor's note: This article appeared in the January 2024 print edition of Dental Economics magazine. Dentists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.
Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD, is a graduate and former faculty member of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Dentistry. Author of Dental Economics’ Pearls for Your Practice column, Dr. Austin lectures nationally on products, dental technology, online reputation management, and social media. He maintains a full-time restorative dentistry private practice in San Antonio, Texas. You may contact Dr. Austin at [email protected].
