Agreement and Reliability of An Endodontic Motor with Integrated Electronic Apex Locators During Gutta-Percha Retrieval: An Ex Vivo Comparative Study
Keywords:
Electronic apex locator, Retreatment, Tri Auto ZX2®, VDW.GOLD® RECIPROC®, Working length determinationAbstract
Objective: This ex vivo study evaluated the agreement and reliability of two endodontic motors with integrated electronic apex locators, Tri Auto ZX2® and VDW.GOLD® RECIPROC®, for canal length measurement during gutta-percha retrieval. Materials and Methods: Thirty extracted maxillary premolars were prepared with occlusal reduction to create a flat reference surface, and standard endodontic procedures were performed. Before obturation, canal length was determined by inserting a file to 0.5 mm short of the apical foramen, defined as the “actual length” (AL). The specimens were embedded in an experimental acrylic model using alginate. After obturation, canal length was remeasured during gutta-percha retrieval using the two tested devices at the 1.0 and 0.5 marks. Differences between measurements were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test, while agreement and reliability were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman analysis. Results: For both endodontic motors, measurements at the 1.0 mark were closer to the AL and showed a statistically significant difference compared with those at the 0.5 mark. The ICC indicated good reliability for measurements at the 1.0 mark in both devices, with values around 0.87. Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated that the measurements were within acceptable limits of agreement, with minimal dispersion at the 1.0 mark. Conclusions: The 1.0 mark setting of both Tri Auto ZX2® and VDW.GOLD® RECIPROC® provided better agreement in canal length measurements during gutta-percha retrieval and may help reduce the risk of overinstrumentation.Downloads
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เจ้าของบทความต้องมอบลิขสิทธิ์ในการตีพิมพ์แก่วิทยาสาร โดยเขียนเป็นลายลักษณ์อักษรแนบมาพร้อมบทความที่ส่งมาตีพิมพ์ ตามแบบฟอร์ม "The cover letter format" รวมทั้งต้องมีลายมือชื่อของผู้เขียนทุกท่านรับรองว่าบทความดังกล่าวส่งมาตีพิมพ์ที่วิทยาสารนี้แห่งเดียวเท่านั้น
