Elipar S10 LED Curing Light

Elipar S10 LED Curing Light

3M ESPE

The Elipar S10 ensures optimal, ultra-rapid curing with high intensity and increased optical power.

Introduced in 2009, the Elipar S10 LED curing light from 3M ESPE is designed to ensure a complete cure in a variety of challenging situations, with up to 50% more optical power and up to 80% more curing surface than that of comparable units. The 1200 mW/cm² intensity enables much faster curing times, with a timer that provides the clinician with setting options of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 120 second cure times, as well as a 1-second tack-cure mode. Even at a distance of 7 mm, the unit produces up to 3 times more intensity than that of comparable devices.

The unit’s high-performance lithium-ion battery provides up to 360 ten-second cures or 720 five-second cures before requiring recharging. The 1-piece stainless steel exterior renders the unit virtually unbreakable, smooth, and resistant to staining and discoloration. With no seams or vents where liquid could potentially seep in, internal components are protected from contaminants, and disinfection between patients is fast and easy.

A group of 9 evaluators (5 dentists and 4 assistants) rated the Elipar S10 and commented on a variety of features, including ease of use and curing time.

Ease of Use

The ergonomic V-shape of the Elipar S10 ensures a comfortable grip from various angles. Adding to the unit’s ease of use is its compact size, which, according to the manufacturer, provides excellent weight balance.

Ease of use, cited by 1 assistant as her favorite feature, was rated as excellent by 5 evaluators and as very good to good by 4. When asked about unit size, 5 evaluators rated it as excellent and 4 rated it as very good. One evaluator “liked the modern style.” Three dentists and 2 assistants said the unit was too heavy. One of these evaluators explained that it was “too heavy for someone accustomed to using a plastic light…hard to get used to” and another called it a “good unit that’s heavy and a little awkward…I’ll probably get used to it with time.”

An Illinois dentist cited the unit’s size as the feature he likes best about the device. A Washington dentist with 34 years of experience said it “cures quickly, balances nicely in the hand, lasts all day on a single charge, and is unbreakable and easy to clean.” The same evaluator noted that the “magnetic top makes assembly quick and seamless.”

Eight evaluators rated output power—7 as excellent and 1 as very good. One assistant remarked that “portability with output power” is the unit’s best feature.

Curing Time

According to the manufacturer, the Elipar S10’s high intensity enables curing of compatible materials in half the manufacturer’s recommended cure time, and even allows a 5-second polymerization of tested composites (shades A3 and lighter).

Curing time was rated as excellent by 5 evaluators and as very good by 4. Five evaluators (3 dentists and 2 assistants) cited curing time and/or depth of cure as the feature they like best about the unit. One evaluator noted that, “Speed of curing is not really a factor. Curing composite too fast causes the shrinkage to increase.”

One of the dentist evaluators noted that the “rapid cure allows for a predictable tack each time…the broad diameter of the large light guide allows for curing molars in 1 pass.” This same evaluator compared curing time with the Elipar to that with his current halogen curing light, based on an average of 10 to 12 posterior composite restorations per day. “Assuming 42 weeks of clinical use per year, the halogen light uses 168,000 seconds (or 46.67 hours) versus the Elipar, which uses 42,000 seconds (or 11.67 hours). The difference is 35 hours of time saving. This represents over a week of saved chair time and production.”

Overall Satisfaction

Overall satisfaction with the Elipar S10 was rated as excellent by 4 evaluators, as very good by 4, and as good by 1. Seven of the 8 evaluators said they would definitely or probably purchase the unit and recommend it to their colleagues. Related to the purchasing decision, 3 evaluators cited unit or battery cost as a concern. One dentist described the device as “an income producer for a range of reasons, including ensuring a quality cure.” He went on to say that the Elipar offers “considerably faster curing time and more efficiency than our halogen curing light and other LEDs…this is a great product!”