Evaluation of the accuracy of electronic apex locators Dentaport ZX and Ray Pex 4 under clinical conditions.

AIM

The aim of the present study was to compare the accuracy of working endodontic length determination by Dentaport ZX and Ray Pex 4 under clinical conditions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Clinical comparative evaluation of the accuracy of two electronic apex locators, Dentaport ZX and Ray-Pex 4, was carried out in 80 single-rooted teeth with vital pulp tissue planned for extraction as part of the dental treatment and after patient consent had been obtained. The normal procedure was followed, which included anesthesia, a standard endodontic access cavity, pulp removal and irrigation of the root canal with 5.25% NaOCl. The working length was estimated with Dentaport ZX for half of the selected teeth and with Ray-Pex 4 for the other half. K-files #15 were cemented at the measured working length and the teeth were extracted. The apical foramen was examined with a stereomicroscope under x15 magnification. The micrometric system of the microscope allowed precise measurement of distances.

RESULTS

The comparison of the estimated working length with the actual length revealed that Dentaport ZX localized the apical foramen in 95% of the cases and the Ray Pex 4 in 92.5% with a clinically acceptable accuracy of +/- 0.5 mm. Dentaport ZX detected the foramen in 97.5% and Ray Pex 4 in 95% of the cases with an accuracy of +/- 1 mm. There was no statistically significant difference between the accuracy of the two electronic apex locators in locating the apical foramen (p < 0.05).