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Volume1 Issue2
I
ssues and
P
eople
Whydidyouchoose topracticedentistry?
Quitehonestly, I pickeddentistry, andprosthodon-
ticsbecause I enjoymaking things, like jewellery,
and I enjoyed the ideaof improvingpeople’s
health. I’vealwayshadan inquisitivemind, so I
naturallygravitated toward research.
Whatbringsaprosthodontist todo light curing
research?
Adesire to improvehumanhealthoutcomes.My
researchandpublicationshaveactuallybeenvery
diverse, but all had that sameoutcome inmind.
Ifyouweren’tadentist,whatwouldyoube?
A ski instructor! I’mactuallya level-2 ski instructor.
I share thispassionwithmy son;wedidour level 1
and2courses together.
Lookingbackatyour lifeandcareer,whatareyou
themostproudof?
Mychildren.My son is a student at theUniversity
ofWaterloo. Hewas accepted inTheNext 36
program,whosegoal is tonurture theentrepre-
neurial promiseof 36undergraduates inCanada.
Mydaughter is a student atAcadiaUniversity. She
is currentlyonan international exchangeprogram
and is spending6months at theUniversityof
Dundee, inScotland.
Wheredoyouseeyourself in5or10years?
Realistically, I hope tobe retired in10years time!
That said, Iwant to keepconducting research.
I enjoyagoodchallenge, and I enjoy trying to
understandhow to improve thedesignof curing
lights. I stronglybelieve that researchandworking
with students keeps themindyoung.
Ifyoucould talk toyour20-year-oldself,what
advicewouldyougivehim?
Toughquestion. I think thebest advice is toalways
haveanopenmindandquestionwhat people tell
you. Don't get discouraged fromyour setbacks.
Instead, learn from themand try todo it better
next time. Questionwhat themanufacturer says,
ask for proof. Questionyour own research—does
itmake sense?Replicationof your ownandothers'
results is key!
ONTHE
SPOT
withDr.RichardPrice
CDA:
Howhas theworldof light curingevolve thispastdecade?
RP:
Dental curing lightshavechangeddramatically thesepast
10years. Yet therehasn’tbeenmuch informationprovidedon the
impactsof thesechangeson restoration longevityandonhow to
usecuring lights. I’mmore specifically referring to the introduction
of LED lights, poly-waveLED lightsand short curing times. Tradition-
al halogenand tungsten lightsemit abroad spectrumofblue light
andcan thereforecureall composites.However, LED lightsonlyemit
averynarrow spectrumanddon’t cureall compositesaswell as they
could. All curing lightswill cure the topof the restoration, but you
needagood lightusedproperly tocure thebottomof the restora-
tion.Wecaneasilyassesswhether the top is cured, butwhat about
thebottom?There isnoway for thedentist toknow.
CDA:
Whodoyoucollaboratewith?
RP:
I havea research laboratoryat theDalhousieUniversitydental
school. Within theuniversity, I collaborateverycloselywith the
departmentsofphysicsandchemistry.Oneof thegreat things
aboutDalhousie is that I can justwalkup the street andgo to those
departments to receiveexperthelpandadvice. I alsocollaborate
withexperts from theUnitedStatesandUnitedKingdom.
CDA:
Tell usabout the2012 light curing symposium.
RP:
Thanks toaCanadian InstitutesofHealthResearch (CIHR)
knowledge translationgrant,wewereable tobringkeyopinion
leaders toHalifax inOctober 2012 todiscuss the important roleof
light curing ineverydaydental practices. Following theevent,we
disseminated someof that knowledgeusingYouTube,multimedia
presentationsandarticles featured inpeer-reviewedandnon-peer-
reviewedpublications.
Theseworld leadersagreed that theprofessionanddental literature
doesnot fully recognize the importanceof thecuring light andhow
it isused indental offices. Yet small differences in techniqueand
curing lightbrands canhaveahuge impacton theamountof ener-
gy receivedby the restorationand, dependingon the light chosen,
on thewavelengthsof light receivedby the restoration. It’s like the
curing step isanafterthought,withmany lecturersand textbooks
just saying, "...and thenyou light cure."
CDA:
Whatwill be focusof thisyear’s symposium?
RP:
We’llworkon identifying solutions to theproblemshighlighted
atour last symposium in2012.We’ll discusshowmanufacturers can
designbetter curing lights, howwecanbetter teach light curing,
andhowwecan improve instructions todentists. Thisyear’s sym-
posiumwill be sponsoredby the industry (Benco, Bisco, BlueLight
Analytics,HenrySchein, Patterson,DENTSPLY, 3MESPE, Kerr,Herae-
us-Kulzer, Ivoclar-Vivadent, andUltradent).
a
This interviewhasbeencondensedandedited.
