IN VIVO ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF A NEW APEX LOCATOR IN LOCALIZE THE APICAL FORAMEN

The objective of this study was evaluated in vivo acc uracy and reliability to identify the apical for amen by Quill ® Apex Locator. Patients with indication for extraction by orthodontic and periodontal reasons were s elected, which resulted in a sample of 21 root canals. Performed the cavity access, the cervical and middle parts of the root canal were prepared and proceeded up the readings at the corresponding point on the display device up to the apical foramen. After that the file was fixed and the tooth extraction was performed. Subsequently we performed a wear on one wall of the apical region, aiming to visualize the tip of the instrument and the continuity up to the apical foramen. The distance between the file tip and the apical ending foramen (FA-I) was measured with the SEM, and were assigned positive values for the instruments that were beyond the apical foramen and ne gative to the instruments that were before the apical foramen. The sample data showed a mean 0.116 mm (± 0.307 mm) for the variable I-FA, it was close to the apical foramen (zero point). The values did not show any data discrepancy but a certain balance between positive and negative values, with the highest concentration of data in the range of -0.3 to 0.3 mm. In accordance with the t test (p = 0.097) it was concluded that there was no significant evidence to reject the ave rage of I-AF is equal to zero (apical foramen). The study demonstrated that the device Quill ® was accurate and reliable to identify the apical