title: A comparison of monopolar and bipolar electrical stimuli and thermal stimuli in determining the vitality of human teeth.
abstract: The sensory threshold was determined for 50 teeth in 31 patients using constant-current stimuli of 0.1, 1.0 and 10 ms duration at 10 Hz through both monopolar and bipolar electrodes. The teeth were also tested with a cold stimulus (ethyl chloride on cotton wool), then extracted, processed and examined by light microscopy. Histologically, 38 teeth were vital and 7 non-vital. The best prediction of vitality was from ethyl chloride (80% correct) or bipolar stimuli of 10 ms duration and up to 200 microA (73% correct). The remaining 5 teeth had vital radicular pulps and necrotic tissue coronally, but a comparison between the results of monopolar and bipolar stimulation did not permit the detection of this group. There was no correlation between the electrical threshold and presence of caries, restorations, pulp stones or diffuse pulpal mineralization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham, England.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013997:Time Factors