An effective artificial testing model to reliability experiments for electronic apex locator devices used in...

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate determination of root canal working length is crucial for successful endodontic treatment.
• Electronic apex locators (EALs) are widely used to measure canal length.
• Validation of EAL accuracy in controlled environments is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of electronic apex locator devices in artificial root canal models.
• To assess the accuracy of specific EALs (Root ZX®, Propex Pixi®) in a laboratory setting.

Main Methods:

• Experimental study using resin endoblocks and human mandibular canine teeth (n=20/group).
• Standardized working lengths were established in artificial and natural root canals.
• Measurements were taken using Root ZX® and Propex Pixi® apex locators.
• Data analyzed using SPSS, with significance set at P < 0.05.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found between the groups regarding the mean distance from the actual working length.
• Endpoint positioning distributions showed no significant variations between the tested apex locators.
• P-values for comparisons were P = 0.633, P = 0.474, and P = 0.591.

Conclusions:

• Artificial root canal models provide a reliable laboratory method for assessing EAL accuracy.
• This approach facilitates efficient calibration of electronic apex locators prior to clinical application.
• The study supports the use of artificial models for validating endodontic instrument performance.