Permanand, Feroze Ali, Kashif Ali Channar, Abdul Bari Memon.
Comparison of radiographic & electronic working length measurement of the root canal in patients seen at Liaquat university of medical and health sciences Jamshoro - Sindh.
Pak Oral Dental J Jan ;36(4):641-4.

The objective of this study was to compare radiographic & electronic working length measurement of the root canal in patients seen at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro. This was a comparative cross sectional study, conducted at the Department of Operative Dentistry of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro from February 2015 to December 2015. Sample size of study subjects was 120 who were diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis of permanent 1st mandibular premolar. They were selected for root canal treatment. Patients were selected with non-probablity purposive sampling technique. A detailed medical and dental history was taken. Before starting any procedure a standardized peri-apical radiograph was taken. Vitality of tooth was checked and pulp tissue was exterpated using fine H file no 15. The canal was irrigated by copious amount of sodium hypochlorite. Absorbent paper points were used to dry the canal. Radiographic working length was determined by using the John Ingle technique in which root length was calculated from preoperative periapical radiographs, after the radiograph had been exposed the file was removed and once the working length radiograph with a file in canal was obtained, the proper radiographic working length was established. While waiting for the radiograph to be developed the apex locator was used to establish the root canal length. The Root ZX apex locator was used to measure the root canal length. All measurements were recorded on data sheet and the working lengths obtained by using the radiographic technique. They were compared with those obtained by using the apex locator. Data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. Paired t-test was used to assess mean difference between radiographic and electronic working length. Male and female patients were 60% and 40% respectively. The mean working length was 19.4mm +0.575 SD for radiographic working length determination and 19.8mm + 0.605 SD for electronic working length determination. Mean difference between radiographic and electronic working length with 0.05 level of significant was -0.3542 mm. That was statistically significant. It is concluded that the electronic apex-locator determined the working length much closer to the actual working length. Working length determined by the conventional radiographic method also showed less deviation from the actual working length.

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