Browsing by Subject "Root ZX II"

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    In Vitro Accuracy of the E-PEX Electronic Apex Locator Compared to the Root ZX II in the Presence of Various Irrigation Solutions
    (2025-06) Sullivan, Andrew; Ehrlich, Ygal; Govindool, Sharaschandra; Karunanayake, Glen
    Introduction: Determining the end point of instrumentation and obturation is one the most important aspects of a well-done non-surgical root canal treatment (NSRCT). This reference point determines the working length, and is commonly calculated with the aid of an electronic apex locator (EAL), which accurately identifies the apical foramen which in turn determines the working length. Throughout endodontic procedures, clinicians utilize a range of irrigants to chemically debride and disinfect the root canal system (RCS), often operating an EAL concurrently in the presence of these solutions. These solutions may affect the accuracy of EALs. Recently a new EAL that uses multiple frequencies has been introduced that may offer benefits over existing EAL’s. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of a novel EAL, the E-PEX, in comparison to the well-established Root ZX II, in determining the position of the apical foramen under the influence of various endodontic irrigants. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six extracted single-rooted teeth had the distance from a coronal reference point to the apical foramen measured. The visual length (VL) was determined using a dental operating microscope (DOM) by placing a #10 K-file in the canal and visualizing where it exits the tooth under magnification. Teeth were then mounted in alginate as a conducting medium, placing various irrigation solutions in the canal during measurements: saline (0.9% sodium chloride), 3% NaOCl, 17% EDTA, and 2% chlorhexidine gluconate. The measurements for the apical foramen were made using the Root ZX II and E-PEX. The length measurements of both EALs were compared for accuracy against the VL measurement. Outcome: The E-PEX and the Root ZX II were both be able to accurately determine the canal length. The different irrigation solutions used did not affect the accuracy of both EALs when allowing for a 0.5mm margin of error. This study provides further support for the use of the E-PEX electronic apex locator in the clinical setting.
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    In Vitro Precision of the E-PEX Electronic Apex Locator Compared to the Root ZX II in Various Embedding Media
    (2025-06) Kohan, Joseph; Ehrlich, Ygal; Govindool, Sharaschandra Reddy; Karunanayake, Glen
    Introduction: One of the challenges of non-surgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) is determining the working length of the canal which indicates the end point of root canal preparation and obturation. The development of the Electronic Apex Locator (EAL) has helped the clinician to determine the location of the apical foramen, and hence the working length, when performing NSRCT. Objectives: The goal of this study is to determine the accuracy of a new EAL, the E-PEX, and compare it to a commonly accepted EAL, the Root ZX II in the presence of different embedding media. Materials and Methods: Forty-two extracted single rooted teeth were used in the study. The distance from a coronal reference point to the apical foramen measured after sectioning the crown. First, the crown length was determined by direct visualization of a #15 k-file as it exited the major foramen via dental operating microscope (DOM). Fourteen teeth were then mounted in each embedding media, alginate, 2% agar-agar and bovine skin 6% gelatin and measurements for the apical foramen were made using the Root ZX II and E-PEX. The accuracy of measurements from the different EAL’s were compared. Results: The difference between E-PEX and Root ZX II regarding deviation from the direct measurement was not statistically significant in agar (p=0.857) or alginate (p=0.923), but for bovine, the difference was significantly larger for E-PEX than for Root ZX II (p=0.042). The type of embedding medium affected the difference from the direct measurement, with smaller deviations observed in bovine compared to agar (p=0.004) and alginate (p=0.008). 100% of the teeth had measurements within 0.5 mm of the direct measurement when using alginate and bovine embedding media. In agar, two teeth had measurements exceeding 0.5 mm from the direct measurement for E-PEX, while Root ZX II had three teeth exceeding 0.5 mm. No significant difference was found between E-PEX and Root ZX II in the percentage of teeth measured within 0.5 mm of the direct measurement (p=1.00 for alginate and bovine, p=0.317 for agar). Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference between the E-PEX and Root ZX II in the percentage of teeth with measurements within ±0.5 mm of the direct measurement, with p-values of 1.00 for both alginate and bovine models, and 0.317 for the agar model.