Final answer:
During a dental restoration procedure, the assistant will light-cure the tooth to harden the filling material. This process uses a light source, such as UV or LED, to ensure the material hardens properly and the restoration is durable.
Step-by-step explanation:
During this procedure and upon the doctor's lead, the assistant will light-cure the tooth to harden the restoration. This part of the dental restoration process involves using a special light, typically an ultraviolet or LED curing light, to harden or set the material used for the tooth's restoration such as resin-based composites.
The description provided in the question illustrates a dental procedure where a cavity is being filled. The dentist, McTeague, inserts gutta-percha fillings temporarily before proceeding to a more permanent solution. Filling a cavity involves removing decayed tooth material, cleaning the affected area, and then filling the cavity with a filling material. When a resin-based composite material is used as a filling, the use of a light-curing device is necessary since these materials harden upon exposure to specific wavelengths of light.
It is important for the dental assistant to follow the dentist's instructions closely in the application of the light-curing technique to ensure the material is properly set and to achieve optimal durability of the restoration.