Ex-vivo Evaluation of the Accuracy of Three Different Apex Locators in the Presence of Sodium Hypochlorite in Root Canals

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the precision of three endodontic apex locators-Propex Pixi, Woodpex III, and VDW Gold Reciproc-in vitro and under clinical conditions. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six single-rooted teeth were decoranated, and actual root canal lengths were measured and recorded with an operating microscope at x20 magnification. The teeth were then embedded in an ex-vivo model, and the measurement of the root canal length was obtained electronically. Each measurement was performed in triplicate, and the mean value was recorded. Data were analyzed statistically. Two paired sample t-tests were used for normally distributed data, and the Wilcoxon test was used for data that did not show normal distribution. A chi-squared test was used to compare categorical variables according to the experimental groups. Results: Woodpex III showed significantly more accurate results than the other apex locators. Propex Pixi and VDW Gold Reciproc apex locators showed no significant difference. Conclusions: Under the circumstances of the present study, Woodpex III allowed for more accurate measurements compared with the other tested devices.