Knoop hardness of dental resin cements: Effect of veneering material and light curing methods

This study evaluated the Knoop hardness of one resin cement (dual-cure mode or light-cure mode) when illuminated directly or through restorative materials—ceramic (HeraCeram) or composite (Artglass)—by two light curing units. Light curing was carried out using a conventional quartz tungsten halogen (QTH) light source (XL2500) for 40 s, and a light emitting diodes (LED) light source (Ultrablue Is) for 40 s. Bovine incisors had their buccal faces flattened and hybridised. On these surfaces, a mould was seated and filled with cement. A disc of the veneering material (1.5 mm thickness) was positioned over this set for light curing. After storage (24 h/37 °C), samples ( n = 10 ) were sectioned for hardness (KHN) measurements. Data were submitted to ANOVA and to Tukey's test ( α = 0.05 ). In general, light curing with LED resulted in higher hardness values than QTH. Distinct cement behaviour was observed with different veneering material in association with different light curing units (LCUs).