Agreement Between Working Length Measurements in Primary Teeth Obtained by Radiographs or Apical Locators

Ingrid Caroline Silva Brum,Marlon Vinícius Tramujas Diniz,Alexandre Moreira Fernandes,Caroline Andrade Maia,Maria Luiza Da Matta Felisberto Fernandes

doi:10.1590/pboci.2020.015

Ingrid Caroline Silva Brum, Marlon Vinícius Tramujas Diniz + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/pboci.2020.015

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Abstract

Objective: To perform an in vivo evaluation on the agreement between measurements of working length obtained by conventional radiographic examinations and an apex locator in deciduous teeth with or without root resorption. Material and Methods: Nine canals of teeth from children ranging from 3 to 5 years old were selected. Endodontic access was performed with a spherical diamond tip, the pulp was removed with Kerr-type steel files, and the canal was irrigated with 1% sodium hypochlorite. A file, compatible with the channel gauge, was then used to measure the length of the root canal with the apex locator. Conventional radiographs were also performed and, using a millimeter endodontic ruler, the length of the canal was determined. The differences between the measurements obtained between the two methods were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Results: The mean canal length for conventional radiography was 9.83 mm and 9.67 mm for the apex locator. The results of this study did not show significant differences (p=0.641), independent of the presence or absence of physiological root resorption. Conclusion: The similarity in measurements obtained with X-ray or an apex locator indicates that it is not necessary to use X-rays as a complement to obtain the working length. The use of the apex locator can provide a quicker treatment, reducing the clinical time and stress of the child.

Highlights

A successful endodontic treatment in deciduous teeth plays a fundamental role in the preservation of dentition until the process of physiological exfoliation is completed [1]
Objective: To perform an in vivo evaluation on the agreement between measurements of working length obtained by conventional radiographic examinations and an apex locator in deciduous teeth with or without root resorption
The radiographic examination is still the main choice, the apex locator has been presented as a promising method to determine the length of root canals, in permanent and in deciduous teeth [15,16,17,18,19]

Summary

Introduction

A successful endodontic treatment in deciduous teeth plays a fundamental role in the preservation of dentition until the process of physiological exfoliation is completed [1]. Anatomical variations of the root canals, caused by irregularly occurring reabsorption and the behavior of children during care are factors that impair the success of endodontic treatments [2,3,4,5]. The standard method used to determine working length is radiographic examination, which is sometimes difficult to obtain due to the limited access to the children's mouths and their behavior [6,7]. The radiographic examination is still the main choice, the apex locator has been presented as a promising method to determine the length of root canals, in permanent and in deciduous teeth [15,16,17,18,19]

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Discussion

Conclusion