title: Working length determination in general dental practice: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of apex locators as a tool in determining working length in comparison to traditional working length radiographs in general dental practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  General dental practices in the North West of England.Subjects Adults requiring root canal treatment of at least one tooth with minimal or moderate difficulty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Root canal treatment was carried out with the working length determined by apex locator in the treatment group (AL), and periapical radiograph in the control group (PA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The acceptability of the master cone gutta percha measured from a radiograph before obturation was used as the primary outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one of 23 fillings in the AL group were judged as acceptable, compared to 17 of 23 fillings in the PA group. This difference was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general dental practice, no significant difference was found in working length determined using apex locator combined with a master cone GP radiograph or using the conventional method. There is a need for larger trials to investigate these methods further.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, University of Liverpool, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5PS, UK. f.jarad@liverpool.ac.uk
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Jarad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albadri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gamble
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnside
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peers
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Preston
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004739:England; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009811:Odontometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing; D019252:Radiography, Dental, Digital; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000379:methods; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013499:Surface Properties; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C048769:tubliseal; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D004492:Edetic Acid; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D002710:Chlorhexidine