Evaluation of Three Pulp Vitality Tests
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Laser Doppler Flowmetry.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Dental Pulp Diseases, Dental Pulp Vitality Testing. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
The objectives of this study are to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of laser Doppler flowmetry in determining the vitality of teeth and comparing with those of electric pulp testing and cold testing.
Detailed description
Prior to starting any endodontic treatment, it is essential to determine the vitality of the tooth in question. Vitality of a tooth is defined as the presence of blood flow into the tooth. The vitality status of a tooth will affect the success of endodontic treatment, and therefore plays an important role in treatment planning. Two established methods of determining vitality are electric pulp tests and cold tests. However, both these methods have drawbacks. Both methods use the presence of sensory feedback in the tooth as a predictor of tooth vitality. This can lead to errors because blood flow and nerves in the tooth may be lost at different times, resulting in false-positive and false-negative responses. Both are subjective and patient-dependent, relying on the patient to indicate when pain is felt. In addition, studies have suggested that electric pulp testing and cold tests are not as reliable in immature teeth, teeth undergoing orthodontic movement, traumatized teeth, and teeth with significant secondary dentin. Laser Doppler flowmetry is a technique that utilizes the Doppler principle to determine blood flow. It has been used widely in the medical field to measure blood flow in the skin. Some studies have also shown good results in measuring blood flow in the pulp of teeth. The objectives of this study are to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of laser Doppler flowmetry in determining the vitality of teeth and comparing with those of electric pulp testing and cold testing.
Interventions
- Device Laser Doppler Flowmetry
Pulp vitality of teeth is tested with three pulp vitality testing including laser Doppler flowmetry, cold testing, and electric pulp testing.
Primary outcome measures
- The number of teeth showing the true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative after pulp vitality testing [Time frame: 1 year]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Criteria for inclusion in the study will be that the individual has teeth that require endodontic treatment and patient is willing to undergo two additional vitality tests which will take about 20 minutes of additional time.
Exclusion criteria
- No group of special subjects or vulnerable population is being targeted in this study.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center — New York
Publications
- Karayilmaz H, Kirzioglu Z. Comparison of the reliability of laser Doppler flowmetry, pulse oximetry and electric pulp tester in assessing the pulp vitality of human teeth. J Oral Rehabil. 2011 May;38(5):340-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2842.2010.02160.x. Epub 2010 Sep 26. PMID 20868433
- Chen E, Abbott PV. Evaluation of accuracy, reliability, and repeatability of five dental pulp tests. J Endod. 2011 Dec;37(12):1619-23. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2011.07.004. Epub 2011 Sep 9. PMID 22099893
Identifiers
NCT: NCT02636504 · AAAO5900