title: Assessing revascularization of avulsed permanent maxillary incisors by laser Doppler flowmetry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laser Doppler flowmetry, or LDF, is a noninvasive method used to assess pulpal blood flow, or PBF. Dental avulsion is associated with loss of pulpal sensitivity. The authors conducted this study to assess whether LDF could be used to detect revascularization of replanted teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used LDF to assess the PBF values of avulsed permanent maxillary incisors treated using replantation and splinting in 17 subjects. They took measurements at four sessions: on the day of splint removal and at 12 weeks, 24 weeks and 36 weeks after splint removal. Five vital control teeth and five nonvital control teeth were used to assess the background signal. At 36 weeks, the authors determined clinically and radiographically whether revascularization had occurred.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LDF readings correctly predicted the pulp status in 88.2 percent of the readings. Of the readings for vital teeth, 100 percent were correct, and of the readings for nonvital teeth, 80 percent were correct. Univariate analysis of variance demonstrated that in revascularized teeth, the PBF value increased significantly from splint removal to week 12 after splint removal and from week 24 to week 36 after splint removal. In the teeth that failed to revascularize, the PBF value dropped significantly from week 24 to week 36 after splint removal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that LDF accurately diagnoses revascularization of avulsed maxillary incisors after replantation and splinting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LDF may become useful in detecting revascularization much earlier than standard sensitivity tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gojer
authors.forename: Burghard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Norer
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emshoff
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000293:injuries*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D010516:Periodontal Splints; D014084:Tooth Avulsion / Q000601:surgery*; D014090:Tooth Replantation