title: Accuracy of electronic apex locators in primary teeth: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a meta-analysis on the accuracy of electronic apex locators (EALs) in determining working length in human primary teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic literature search was conducted using a combination of the terms 'primary teeth', 'root canal length' and 'electronic apex locators'. Additional eligible articles were identified using a manual search. The full texts of identified articles were screened according to inclusion criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to further data extraction. Meta-analysis of studies that reported mean lengths and difference in mean lengths between EAL and actual root canal length (ARCL) revealed a significant difference (P = 0.015) between the two readings whilst those studies that evaluated intraclass correlation (ICC) suggested a high correlation (P < 0.0001) between the EAL and ARCL readings. A subgroup analysis revealed that the presence of root resorption did not affect the accuracy of EALs (P = 0.567).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electronic apex locators offer an acceptable level of accuracy in the measurement of root canal length in primary teeth.
authors.affiliation: Restorative Dentistry Department, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pani
mesh_terms: D003762:Dental Instruments; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D009811:Odontometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: actual root canal length; electronic apex locator; meta-analysis; primary teeth; pulpectomy; working length