Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Dec;4(Suppl 3):S204-8.
doi: 10.4103/2231-0762.149042.

In vivo evaluation of the accuracy of working length determination using an electronic apex locater IPEX (NSK) on vital uninfected teeth and teeth with radiographic evidence of periapical lesions

Kachenahalli Narasimhaiah Raghu  1 , Jacob G Daniel  2 , Shuaib Razvi  2 , Ramachandra Vinaychandra  2 , Annapurna Kini  2 , Kunigal Jayram Nandakishore  2
Affiliations

In vivo evaluation of the accuracy of working length determination using an electronic apex locater IPEX (NSK) on vital uninfected teeth and teeth with radiographic evidence of periapical lesions

Kachenahalli Narasimhaiah Raghu et al. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2014 Dec.

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of working length determination of an electronic apex locator, IPEX, on vital uninfected teeth and teeth with radiographic evidence of periapical lesions.

Materials and methods: Twenty vital and uninfected teeth and 16 teeth with a single canal and matured apices and having radiographic evidence of periapical lesions of 5-10 mm were taken for this study. Access cavities were prepared and pulp was considered to be vital if bleeding was present upon entering the chambers. No. 15 k-type file was used to determine the working length. X-rays were taken to determine the working length using Ingle's method, followed by determination using the electronic apex locator, IPEX. Teeth were then observed under 45 × magnification using stereomicroscope. No 15 k-type file was maneuvered till the emergence of the tip was seen and the real length of the tooth was thus measured in the instrument up to 0.5 mm accuracy using stereomicroscope.

Results: The data were duly collected and entered, and the statistical analysis was done using Student's t test. In uninfected teeth, IPEX was found to be more reliable than Ingle's radiographic technique, but this was not statistically significant. In case of teeth with radiographic evidence of periapical lesions, the radiographic method appeared to be relatively more dependable; however, this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: For rendering effective root canal procedure, both radiographs and electronic apex locators have important roles to play.

Keywords: Electronic apex locator; IPEX; Ingle's method; periapical lesions; radiographs; working length.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Materials used in the study
Figure 2
Figure 2
Method used for determining the working length
Graph 1
Graph 1
Pearson's correlation of Ingle's method, EAL method with magnifying method: standard method vital uninfected teeth
Graph 2
Graph 2
Pearson's correlation of Ingle's method, EAL method with magnifying method: standard method in teeth with radiographic evidence of lesions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Martínez-Lozano MA, Forner-Navarro L, Sánchez-Cortés JL, Llena-Puy C. Methodological considerations in the determination of the working length. Int Endod J. 2001;34:371–6. - PubMed
    1. Kim E, Lee SJ. Electronic apex locator. Dent Clin North Am. 2004;48:35–54. - PubMed
    1. Cluster LE. Exact methods of locating apical foramen. J Natl Dent Assoc. 1918;5:815–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Suzuki K. Experimental study on iontophoresis. J Jap Stomatol. 1942;16:411–29.
    1. Sunada I. New methods for measuring length of root canals. J Dent Res. 1962;41:375–87.