title: Influence of simulated apical resorption following orthodontic treatment on working length determination: an in vitro study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  External apical root resorption (EARR) is a common complication that may occur during and after orthodontic treatment. In case of need of endodontic therapy for a tooth with EARR, it has not been clarified yet which benefits can be derived by the use of electronic apex locators (EALs). The present study aimed to assess the accuracy of EALs on extracted teeth before and after simulation of EARR subsequent to orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Standard access cavities were prepared on 64 single-rooted teeth. After working length (CWL) determination, specimens were embedded in an alginate mass, connected to two EALs (Apit, Osada, Tokyo, Japan; Root ZX, Morita Corp., Tokyo, Japan) and the electronic working length (EWL) was measured. The apical portion of the specimens was then modified to simulate EARR, and the EWL was determined again. The discrepancy between CWL and EWL was regarded as statistical unit. Collected data underwent statistical analysis by means of non-parametric tests (p < 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within a range of ± 0.5 and ± 1.0 mm from CWL, the accuracies were 79.7% and 98.4% (Apit/intact tooth); 82.8% and 96.9% (Apit/simulated EARR); 81.3% and 98.4% (Root ZX/intact tooth); 76.6% and 96.9% (Root ZX/simulated EARR). No statistically significant differences in relation to device or apical condition emerged (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two considered EALs showed similar accuracy, which was not affected by the EARR simulation. The use of EALs in the treatment of teeth with EARR following orthodontic treatment may be useful.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Angerame
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Nanotechnology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Biasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Materials, School of Dentistry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castagnola
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Somma
authors.affiliation: University Clinic Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castaldo
mesh_terms: D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000473:pathology*; D055615:Electrical Equipment and Supplies; D006801:Humans; D009811:Odontometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012015:Reference Standards; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012391:Root Resorption / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000473:pathology*