Rationalization of electric pulp-testing methods.

A new electric pulp-testing system, the Testark, was developed in order to assess the potential of a different way of testing pulp sensitivity, thus making this electric pulp test more dependable than the conventional electric pulp-testing method. A study was conducted to evaluate the potential of the Testark system in comparison with a commercially available pulp tester. This pilot study consisted of application of three different desensitizing agents (sodium fluoride, test product. 'A', and test product 'B') to the cervical areas of hypersensitive teeth. The results were recorded with both the Testark and the conventional pulp tester simultaneously, and the sodium fluoride and test product 'B' proved to yield a beneficial effect by desensitizing the teeth after a single application. The level of desensitization with these agents was higher than the level obtained with the test product 'A' paste, which was utilized daily for 14 days. The results obtained with the conventional pulp tester differed by way of interpretation from those obtained with the Testark system. The Testark system proved to be easy to use and highly accurate in the data readings because of its high resolution. The Testark systemwas found to be more dependable than the commerical pulp tester, since it reduced the subjective errors which are inevitable when a commerical pulp tester is used. The Testark system is being developed further, and more studies are being conducted at the present time, in order to assess the full potential of the instrument.