• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.310-316
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• 1999

In the traumatized teeth, the major complications are pulp necrosis, and root resorption. The factors influencing to prognosis are the state of root development, type of injuries, quality of fixation. There are good prognosis in the case of immature teeth, minor luxation injuries. To minimize of occurrence of these complication, it is very important to determine the pulp vitality. This can help us decide whether or not to treat the teeth endodontically. But, it is difficult to determine of pulp vitality in immature teeth or traumatized teeth. In this case, pulp vitality test was done periodically on the traumatized upper central incisors, and the results were different among cold test, electric pulp test, and laser Doppler flowmetry. The conclusions were obtained from this case can be summarized as follows; 1. Pulp vitality of traumatized teeth should be negative early, but with time going, pulp vitality could be recovered. 2. The positive response of pulp vitality test was detected earlier in laser Doppler flowmetry. 3. Between cold test and electric pulp test, cold test was more reliable in determining pulp vitality.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.562-568
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• 1998

Various diagnostic methods, such as electric pulp test, cold test, test cavity etc., have been used to determine the pulp vitality. At least two or more methods should be used with supplemental information to diagnose each case because using one method doesn't provide sufficient accuracy. These conventional methods have depended on nervous responses, but Laser Doppler Flowmeter determines the pulp vitality by measuring pulpal blood flow. In this case, we tested the vitality of the traumatized teeth with incomplete root apices and autotransplanted teeth with conventional methods and Laser Doppler Flowmeter. Conventional methods, such as electric pulp test and cold test can produce various responses according to the development state of the pulpal nerve and the sensory threshold of the patient. But, Laser Doppler Flowmeter has a lower false response rate than any other pulp vitality test methods and it can determine the vitality somewhat earlier than the other method.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2004

Electric stimulation of teeth has been used for assessing pulp vitality. The principle is based upon the assumption that a subject feels the pain produced by electrical current stimulation of intradental nerve. Because of very high and wide range of impedance of the enamel, it is very difficult to determine stimulation levels regardless of teeth status. Most pulp testers adopt voltage stimulation method and thus, their stimulating threshold levels significantly depend on each individual. Therefore, a constant current stimulator is necessary to minimize the effect of wide variation due to different enamel thickness. And it is also necessary to test teeth vitality with a wide current range regardless of tooth impedance. In this study, we constructed a burst-wave type pulp tester to reduce the pain using a current stabilizing circuit with the maximum current of 150 uA.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.560-569
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• 1999

Blood supply rather than nerve supply implies pulp vitality. To evaluate pulp vitality clinically, electric pulp test and thermal test which are based on sensory nerve response have been used in addition to many auxiliary data such as past dental history, visual inspection, radiographic examination, percussion, palpation and transillumination test. However, reactivity of the nerves to the stimulation is not synonymous with normalcy. Therefore measurement of pulpal blood flow using a laser Doppler flowmeter became a new trial to test the pulp vitality. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate normal pulpal blood flow level of maxillary teeth in adult to provide a guideline in determining the vitality of dental pulp. Pulpal blood flow was measured in maxillary central and lateral incisors, canines, first and second premolars and first molars of seventy nine adults of 22 - 30 years old using a laser Doppler flowmeter (PeriFlux 4001, Perimed Co., Stockholm, Sweden, 780 nm infrared laser, 1mW). For directly-made splints, silicone rubber impressions were taken directly from the mouth. For indirectly-made splints, alginate impressions were taken from the mouth and stone cast were made. After making depressions on the buccal surfaces of the cast teeth to indicate the hole positions, second impressions with vinyl polysyloxane putty were taken from the cast. Holes for the laser probes were made at the putty impressions 4mm above the gingival level. Laser probe (PF416 dental probe, 1.5mm) was inserted in the prepared hole and the splint was set in the mouth. After 10 minutes of patient relaxing, pulpal blood flow was recorded for 5 minutes on each tooth. The recorded flow was saved in the computer and calculated with a software 'Perisoft' version 5.1. Pulpal blood flow was also recorded in six teeth of five individuals with no response to electric pulp test and cold test, with periapical radiolucency, or with history of root canal treatment to compare with nonvital teeth. The difference between the mean flow values of each group of teeth were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple Range test. The results were as follows: 1. The average pulpal blood flow values of all the tested teeth of each location were between 9 - 16 Perfusion Unit. Pulpal blood flow value was highest in maxillary lateral incisors, followed by first premolars, second premolars, canines, central incisors, and then first molars (p<0.01). 2. In six anterior teeth, indirectly-made splint group showed higher pulpal blood flow values than directly-made splint group (p<0.01). In posterior teeth, however, there was no significant flow value difference between directly-made splint group and indirectly-made splint one (p>0.05). 3. Teeth with vital pulps showed higher signal values than teeth with nonvital pulps (p<0.01), and the flow photographs showed heartbeat-synchronous fluctuations and vasomotions, while those were absent in non vital tooth.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2005

Periapical cemental dysplasia(PCD) is a condition most commonly seen in the mandibular incisor region. Radiographically it passes through the three phases(osteolytic stage, intermediate stage, and mature stage). At osteolytic stage, the lesion is similar to features associated with granuloma or cyst that arise following pulpal necrosis. So, it is important to confirm the vitality of the pulp to diagnosis. In this case, it is difficult to confirm the vitality of involved tooth because the tooth was covered with PFG bridge. And it is unusual that the PCD lesion at mandibular incisors has occurred at first and the lesion of mandibular canine and mandibular premolar were occurred afterward.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.103-107
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• 2000

Traditionally, EPT and thermal tests were used as diagnostic methods for pulp vitality test. The thermal and electrical stimulation tests are the methods to determine the vitality of a tooth based on its neuronal response. These have certain limitations, one of them is the difficulty of approaching the correct result in case of treatment of children. The reason is management problem caused by the unpleasant stimulation. Also, the response from patients are not objective, and false positive or false negative could be happened. Recently, laser doppler flowmetry and pulse oximeter which evaluate vascular integrity are introduced in an effort of overcoming to limitation of traditional methods. The principle of pulse oximeter is to and out level of oxygen saturation by ratio of the two pulses between emitted light and detected light penetrating them to the termination of body, such as ears or fingers. From this point of view, it can be applied to a tooth to determine its vitality. The objective of this study lies mainly on varifying pulse oximeter as a method of determining tooth vitality and providing basic data of its clinical implementation. The result of the research showed that level of oxygen saturation in vital teeth was average of 96.3% and 0.0% in pulpless teeth. As a comprehensive result, pulse oximeter could be an useful diagnostic equipment in determining of tooth vitality.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.492-496
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• 2010

Coronal discoloration is a common sequela to traumatic injuries. In subluxation cases, although the injury is not strong enough to rupture the apical vessels, discoloration may appear by tearing thin walls or occluding small capillaries. In absence of infection pulpal regeneration can occur, and as a result discoloration may completely or partially subside. But judging pulpal status by coronal discoloration can be dangerous and it may lead to unnecessary treatment. This case presents coronal discoloration and recovery following traumatic injury of maxillary anterior teeth. In diagnosing traumatized teeth routine cold tests or electric pulp tests are known to be unreliable, but with the aid of ultrasound doppler imaging, assessing pulp vitality of traumatized teeth can be more accurate.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.683-690
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliablity of laser Doppler flowmeter on the permanent maxillary central incisors with open apex. Laser Doppler flowmeter and electric pulp tests were done in 35 elementary students aged between 8 and 9 years and 35 females and males aged between 23 and 24 years. Teeth with open apex were confined to root developmental stage 5 and 6 by Moorrees classification. The threshold of electric pulp tests was decided the time of tingling sensation. More than three different electric pulp tests applied on every teeth with more than 3 minutes interval between each teeth due to the false response. Laser Doppler flowmeter test stablilzation and observation stages took more than 5 minutes each LDF values and electric pulp test thresholds were analyzed with student t-test. The results were as follows: 1. The electric pulp test threshold on teeth with immature and mature roots showed 28.4% and 100% response respectively, and the the LDF values on teeth with immature and mature roots showed 100% response. 2. The EPT thresholds on teeth with immature roots were larger than thresholds on teeth with mature roots(p<0.01). 3. No significant differences were found in the LDF values on teeth with immature and mature roots.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.43-49
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• 2004

Electric pulp test is a method to examine the vitality of dental pulp using physical and chemical stimulation. During the pulp test, the current stimulates intradental nerve, and it makes patients painful. In this paper, we measured each activating response EMG in anterior belly of digastric muscle, voice, and finger movement during the pulp test by increasing stimulus intensity gradually. We also measured excessive stimulus time from the activating responses (EMG, voice, and finger movement) to the end of the stimulation. We measured and analyzed excessive stimulus time for each stimulus detecting method. As a result, we developed automatic stimulus breaker using the human responses to stimulus during electric pulp test. We reduced the excessive stimulus time by disconnecting the pulp tester stimulus output rapidly in 10 ms after activating human response.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.522-528
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• 2006

When tooth is displaced within the alveolar bone, it could apply pressure and rupture the apical vessels. Pulpal reaction in such case is affected by the stage of root formation, amount of intrusion and pulpal infection. Determining the need of pulp treatment depends on the pulp vitality. Therefore, periodic vitality tests, coronal color changes and radiographic root resorption signs should be observed through periodic post-trauma follow-up. Pulp necrosis, pulp canal obliteration, external root resorption, root ankylosis and marginal bone loss could result from periodontal injuries. Negative sign changes from positive signs of vitality tests suggest pulp necrosis. In this case, pulp treatment should be held before root resorption occurs. By comparing the following two cases, complications of intrusion and factors producing them could be confirmed, thus we propose to report these two cases.