An assessment of the reliability of pulp testing deciduous teeth

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of children's responses to pulp testing of deciduous teeth. The maxillary canine was chosen as the test tooth. One hundred children aged 7-10 years were selected who had at least one non-carious maxillary canine with an intact root showing only early radiographic signs of resorption. Using a minimization sampling technique, the children were allocated to one of two groups, for pulp testing with ethyl chloride (EC) or with an electric pulp tester (EPT). True and sham tests for both pulp testing methods were applied. The tests were repeated following an application of 5% lignocaine paste to the gingival margin around the tooth to prevent gingival detection of the stimulus. Children were asked to record their responses to each of the four tests on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 1-10. Significantly higher mean scores were obtained with true tests than with sham tests, for both EC and EPT. The application of lignocaine to the gingival margin did not significantly affect the responses to either EC or EPT. It was concluded that pulp testing of intact maxillary deciduous canines with no or only early signs of radiographic root resorption, using EC or EPT, results in reliable responses in 7-10-year-olds, suggesting that pulp testing is valid in the deciduous dentition. The VAS was a useful tool for the evaluation of the children's responses.