curing tip distance

[haruhichan]

hello.can you please tell me what curing tip distance means in the following context?It is study concerning dentistry.

"This study evaluated the influence of the curing tip distance on cure depth of a resin composite by measuring Vickers microhardness and determining the degree of conversion by using FT-Raman spectroscopy"

thank u

[Whickerman]

The resin is hardened (or 'cured') using a method such as UV light. The tooling used has a nib called a tip.

The curing tip distance is the distance this tip is held from the resin to allow it cure.
The resin is then measured for hardness using a scale known as Vickers - used in applications from resin to plastics to metals - and this changes depending on the distance the tip has beenheld from the resin. The report objective will be to decide the best distnace to hold the tip from the tooth to allow the best finish.

EG: This study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12760705
used distances of 0 mm, 6 mm and 12 mm, and the differences in hardness and the depth of the cure were measured.