OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of apex locators as a tool in determining working length in comparison to traditional working length radiographs in general dental practice. DESIGN: Randomised controlled clinical trial. SETTING:General dental practices in the North West of England.Subjects Adults requiring root canal treatment of at least one tooth with minimal or moderate difficulty. INTERVENTION: Root canal treatment was carried out with the working length determined by apex locator in the treatment group (AL), and periapical radiograph in the control group (PA). OUTCOME MEASURE: The acceptability of the master cone gutta percha measured from a radiograph before obturation was used as the primary outcome. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 23 fillings in the AL group were judged as acceptable, compared to 17 of 23 fillings in the PA group. This difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In general dental practice, no significant difference was found in working length determined using apex locator combined with a master cone GP radiograph or using the conventional method. There is a need for larger trials to investigate these methods further.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of apex locators as a tool in determining working length in comparison to traditional working length radiographs in general dental practice. pan class="abstract_title">DESIGN: Randomised controlled clinical trial. SETTING: General dental practices in the North West of England.Subjects Adults requiring root canal treatment of at least one tooth with minimal or moderate difficulty. INTERVENTION: Root canal treatment was carried out with the working length determined by apex locator in the treatment group (AL), and periapical radiograph in the control group (PA). OUTCOME MEASURE: The acceptability of the master cone gutta percha measured from a radiograph before obturation was used as the primary outcome. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 23 fillings in the AL group were judged as acceptable, compared to 17 of 23 fillings in the PA group. This difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: In general dental practice, no significant difference was found in working length determined using apex locator combined with a master cone GP radiograph or using the conventional method. There is a need for larger trials to investigate these methods further.