Electrical impedance measurements of root canal length

Electronic methods are now widely used during endodontic treatment for the assessment of root canal length. These commonly measure the electrical resistance or impedance between the root canal and the buccal mucosa. A number of studies have been undertaken to determine the accuracy of commercially available instruments. The aims of this investigation were to determine the electrical impedance characteristics of the root canal and periapical tissues in vivo, measure the changes relative to the distance of an endodontic instrument from the apical constriction and propose an equivalent circuit modelling the periapical tissues. The length of the root canals of 20 previously untreated teeth were determined using radiographic and electronic methods. Minimal canal preparation was carried out and measurements were made with a size 10 K-Flex file. A microprocessor-controlled LCR analyser was used to measure the electrical impedance characteristics of each root canal. The instrument measured the series and parallel resistive (RS, RP) and capacitance (CS, CP) component of the tissues at two test frequencies, 100 Hz and 1 kHz. Measurements were made for each root canal when the diagnostic file was placed at the apical constriction and repeated when the file was withdrawn to -0.5, -1.0, -1.5, -2.0 and -5.0 mm from the foramen. Readings were taken for each canal after the canal had been dried with paper points, and flooded first with deionised water and then with sodium hypochlorite. The root canals were then prepared, cleaned and obturated using standard endodontic procedures. The LCR analyser selected the series resistance component as the major measurement parameter. There was a clear increase in series resistance (RS) with increasing distance from the radiographic apex for dry canals and those containing deionised water and sodium hypochlorite. The mean resistance for dry canals was markedly higher than for those containing fluid, ranging from 22.19 k omega to 92.07 k omega in comparison with 9.32 k omega to 12.10 k omega for deionised water and from 7.46 k omega to 8.92 k omega for canals containing sodium hypochlorite. There was a marked change in the series and parallel resistive component with distance from the apex, suggesting a complex relationship between the impedance of the smear layer and bulk dentine. The impedance characteristics of a root canal were a complex electrical network comprising resistive and capacitive series and parallel elements.