Influence of dentin substitutes and light curing modes on intrapulpal temperature: An in vitro analysis

Background: Deep caries with extensive dentin loss reduces the strength of the tooth. To overcome this, various dentin substitutes have been widely used. Photopolymerization of such dentin substitutes can have an influence on the intrapulpal temperature of tooth which can lead to an increased risk of irreversible damage to the pulpal tissue. The mode of light curing can also have an influence on the rise in the intrapulpal temperature. Aim: To evaluate the influence of Dentin Substitutes along with alternative Light Curing Modes on the rise in Intrapulpal Temperature. Materials and methods: A single extracted human mandibular first premolar was used in the study. The root was resected 2 mm below the cementoenamel junction, and the occlusal surface was flattened to maintain 2 mm of remaining dentin thickness. A K- type thermocouple was introduced into the pulp chamber to record intrapulpal temperature during polymerization. Brilliant NG composite served as the control (Group 1), while SDR Plus (Group 2) and EverX Flow (Group 3) were the Dentin substitutes tested. Each group was further divided into three subgroups based on curing mode: Continuous (Subgroup A), Ramped (Subgroup B), and Pulsed (Subgroup C). Mean temperature rise was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test. Results: Group 3 revealed a significantly lower (p value < 0.001) rise in intrapulpal temperature compared to Group 1 and Group 2. Among the different light curing modes, Subgroup C showed a significantly lower (p value = 0.033) rise in intrapulpal temperature compared to Subgroup A and Subgroup C. Conclusion: •Ever X Flow resulted in a significantly lower rise in intrapulpal compared to the Control and SDR Plus group.•Pulsed mode of curing resulted in a significantly lower rise in intrapulpal temperature compared to the Continuous and Ramped curing modes.