Evaluation of the use of an electronic apex locator and behavioral analysis in child patients

This study aimed to compare in vivo the measures of working length found with the electronic apex locator Joypex 5 (Denjoy®, China) with those of conventional radiography, in addition to analyzing the behavior of the child during both techniques. The sample included 30 deciduous molar conduits of patients cared for in the Dentistry Teaching Clinic of the Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG). After the access was prepared, the conduits were irrigated with sodium hypochlorite 2.5% and sterile serum. Two methods for measuring the length of the root canal (electronic and radiographic) were compared to measure their efficacy. The samples were characterized as "Acceptable", "Short", and "Long", depending on the evaluation standards. The modified Frankl Behavior Scale was applied to evaluate the behavior of patients. The results were analyzed using Student's t test, with a 95% confidence interval (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the measures found by the different methods evaluated (p = 0.45). There was an 80% positive behavior during LAE measuring, while there was only 50% for the radiographic method. The electronic apex locator is a safe deciduous teeth odontometric tool to determine the working length, diminishing the exposure to ionizing radiation, as well as the negative behavior during endodontic treatments.