Efeitos prejudiciais da exposição à luz azul emitida por unidades fotoativadoras: revisão de literatura

Abstract

With the increasing number of clinical procedures requiring photoactivation, the harmful effects of prolonged and cumulative exposure to blue light by dental staff are becoming a concern. The aim of this study was to conduct a narrative review on the harmful effects of blue light exposure in dental practice, seeking to understand its biological impacts and associated prevention strategies. To this end, studies available in the PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, LILACS databases and institutional repositories were selected using descriptors such as “blue hazard”, “ocular hazards”, “dental curing unit”, “light curing”, “photopolymerization”, “photoactivation”, and “light curing unit”, combined with the Boolean operators “AND” or “OR”, without restriction as to the year of publication, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. In general, the results showed that prolonged exposure to blue light can cause eye damage, such as macular degeneration, inflammation, cell apoptosis, as well as pulp injuries resulting from elevated temperature and gingival lesions associated with the formation of reactive oxygen species and local heating. Therefore, it is concluded that blue light constitutes a significant occupational risk in dentistry, making the use of protective eyewear with specific filters, the application of an air jet during photoactivation, and adherence to the exposure time recommended by the manufacturer essential. Adopting these measures contributes to the prevention of occupational hazards and promotes the safety of the dental team and patients.