TABLE 1. Knoop microhardness (Kg/mm2) means (± standard deviation; n=10) of the specimens according to the curing methods and depth (mm) from the external irradiated surface.
| Depth (mm) | Traditional | Curing methods | Stepped | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramped | Pulsed-delay | |||
| 0.1 | 73.5 ± 3.3 Aa | 71.7 ± 6.0 Aab | 68.2 ± 3.7 Ab | 67.7 ± 3.2 Ab |
| 1.0 | 69.3 ± 2.4 Ba [0.94]* | 66.6 ± 3.4 Bab [0.93]* | 63.2 ± 3.2 Bb [0.93]* | 63.0 ± 3.3 Bb [0.93]* |
| 2.0 | 66.0 ± 1.9 Ca [0.90]* | 61.9 ± 3.8 Cb [0.86]* | 60.4 ± 2.8 Cb [0.88]* | 59.8 ± 2.9 Cb [0.88]* |
| 4.0 | 58.8 ± 2.6 Da [0.80]* | 48.7 ± 4.7 Db [0.68]* | 51.5 ± 3.1 Db [0.77]* | 50.9 ± 3.0 Db [0.75]* |
Different letters indicate statistically significant differences (p<0.05); uppercase letters compare the effect of depth of cure for each curing method (within columns) and lowercase letters compare curing methods for each depth of cure (within lanes).
*
[Microhardness ratio relative to the 0.1 mm value]