Journal of endodontics
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Journal of endodontics · Sep 2012
Comparative StudyComparison of the efficacy of a custom-made pulse oximeter probe with digital electric pulp tester, cold spray, and rubber cup for assessing pulp vitality.
The ideal technique for the evaluation of pulp vitality should be noninvasive, painless, objective, reliable, and reproducible. To achieve this, the most routine tests are sensitivity tests. However, a major shortcoming with these tests is that they indirectly indicate pulp vitality by measuring a neural response. Pulse oximetry is a well-established oxygen saturation monitoring technique broadly used in medicine. However, its efficacy as the pulp vitality test should be evaluated. The aim of this study was to design and build a custom-made pulse oximeter dental probe and to evaluate its efficacy in comparison with electric pulp tester, cold spray, and a rubber cup in pulp vitality testing. ⋯ Pulp testing by using pulse oximetry is more reliable than the electric test, rubber cup, and cold spray. The custom-made pulse oximeter dental probe is an effective and objective method for pulp vitality assessment.
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Journal of endodontics · Sep 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudySuccess rate of single- versus two-visit root canal treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis: a randomized controlled trial.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of single- versus 2-visit root canal treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis after a 2-year follow-up period. ⋯ Several factors play an important role in the decision-making process of 1- versus 2-visit endodontics. Among these are objective factors like preoperative diagnosis, the ability to obtain infection control, root canal anatomy, procedural complications, and subjective factors like patients' signs and symptoms. This study provided evidence that with a treatment protocol with instrumentation to predefined larger apical instrumentation sizes and irrigation with a negative apical pressure system can lead to healing in cases of apical periodontitis, which is a significant finding compared with more dated studies that showed average healing of apical periodontitis cases. With the given sample size, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 treatment modalities.