title: Evaluation of dental pulp sensibility tests in a clinical setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this project was to evaluate the performance of dental pulp sensibility testing with Endo Ice (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) and an electric pulp tester (EPT) and to determine the effect of several variables on the reliability of these tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 656 patients seen in the University of Iowa College of Dentistry Endodontic graduate clinic. The results of pulpal sensibility tests, along with the tooth number, age, sex, number of restored surfaces, presence or absence of clinical or radiographic caries, and reported recent use of analgesic medications, were recorded. The presence of vital tissue within the pulp chamber was used to verify the diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Endo Ice results showed accuracy, 0.904; sensitivity, 0.916; specificity, 0.896; positive predictive value, 0.862; and negative predictive value, 0.937. The EPT results showed accuracy, 0.75; sensitivity, 0.84; specificity, 0.74; positive predictive value, 0.58; and negative predictive value, 0.90. Patients aged 21-50 years exhibited a more accurate response to cold testing (P = .0043). Vital teeth with caries responded more accurately to cold testing (P = .0077). There was no statistically significant difference noted with any other variable examined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulpal sensibility testing with Endo Ice and EPT are accurate and reliable methods of determining pulpal vitality. Patients aged 21-50 exhibited a more accurate response to cold. Sex, tooth type, number of restored surfaces, presence of caries, and recent analgesic use did not significantly alter the results of pulpal sensibility testing in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Jespersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hellstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa. Electronic address: anne-williamson@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: William T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Unit, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000777:Anesthetics; D002648:Child; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000503:physiopathology; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D003791:Dental Pulp Test / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D004980:Ethane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005466:Fluorocarbons
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000777:Anesthetics; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated; C063006:norflurane; D004980:Ethane; D005466:Fluorocarbons
keywords: Electric pulp tester; Endo Ice; pulp testing; sensibility testing; vitality testing