title: Assessment of the efficacy of an indigeniously developed pulse oximeter dental sensor holder for pulp vitality testing.
abstract: Current routine methods of assessment of pulp vitality rely on stimulation of nerve fibres and give no direct indication of blood flow within the pulp. Pulse oximeter is a proven, atraumatic method of measuring vascular status, by evaluating oxygen saturation. This study explores the use of customized dental pulse oximeter sensor holder to assess pulpal vascular oxygen saturation in permanent teeth. Pulse oximeter readily differentiated between known vital and nonvital teeth. Vital teeth consistently provided oxygen saturation values that were lower than the values recorded on the patient's fingers. Pulse oximeter is an accurate, atraumatic clinical alternative to the present electrical and thermal methods of assessing pulp vitality in teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Chennai, India. hi_gopikrishna@hotmail.com
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gopi Krishna
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kandaswamy
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003481:Cuspid / Q000098:blood supply; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply*; D003791:Dental Pulp Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000098:blood supply; D010092:Oximetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen