Measurement of the excessive stimulus time after the sensory threshold level during electric pulp testing

Ki-Chang Nam; Seon-Hui Ahn; Soo-Chan Kim; Deok-Won Kim; Seung-Jong Lee

doi:10.5395/JKACD.2004.29.3.226

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Nam, Ahn, Kim, Kim, and Lee: Measurement of the excessive stimulus time after the sensory threshold level during electric pulp testing

Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry

Journal of Korean Academy of Conservative Dentistry 2004; 29(3): 226-232.

Published online: 31 May 2004

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5395/JKACD.2004.29.3.226

Measurement of the excessive stimulus time after the sensory threshold level during electric pulp testing

Ki-Chang Nam¹, Seon-Hui Ahn¹, Soo-Chan Kim¹, Deok-Won Kim¹, Seung-Jong Lee²

¹Department of Medical Engineering, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Korea.

²Department of Conservative Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Korea.

Corresponding author: Seung-Jong Lee. Department of Conservative Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemoon Gu, Seoul, Korea, 120-752. Tel: 82-2-361-8700, Fax: 82-2-313-7575, sjlee@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Use of electric pulp testing elicits painful response in vital teeth. In this study, we examined the excessive time from pain feeling to stimulation disconnection in clinical situation. D626D (Parkell Inc., USA.) scan type electric pulp tester was used in total of 23 young healthy individuals. Each of the right central incisors and first premolars were used as testing teeth. Stimulation disconnection was achieved by EMG in anterior belly of digastric muscle, finger span, and voice and the excessive stimulation time over the sensory threshold was recorded. As a result, we found that the short responses before the stimulation disconnection appeared following order; EMG, finger span, and voice. The EMG disconnection is suggested to be used to reduce the excessive stimulus time in electric pulp testing.

Keywords: Tooth, Pulp test, Electric pulp tester, Pulp vitality, Pain response, EMG (electromyograph), Stimulation time

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Conventional pulp vitality testing using electric pulp tester.

Figure 2

Electrode position to measure the digastric muscle EMG.

Figure 3

Flexible band sensor for measuring the finger span.

Figure 4

Measurement of pain responses during electric pulp testing.

Figure 5

Record of electric pulp testing level, EMG, finger span, and voice during electric pulp testing (① : time of electric pulp testing, ②, ③, ④ time delay between showing EMG, finger span, and voice response and stimulation stop, respectively).

Figure 6

Time delay between the examiner and examinee (central incisor, EMG1)

Figure 7

Time delay between the examiner and examinee (premolar, EMG1)

Figure 8

Time delay between the examiner and examinee (central incisor, EMG2)

Figure 9

Time delay between the examiner and examinee (premolar, EMG2)

Table 1

Time delay between EMG, finger span, and voice response and stimulation disconnection, respectively (EMG 1)

Table 2

Time delay between showing EMG, finger span, and voice response and stimulation stop, respectively (EMG 2)

Table 3

Maximum power value of EMG in digastric muscle as the electrode position by electric pulp testing

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