parkell DIGITEST 3 Instrucciones De Uso página 4

• Insert Tooth Probe into the open end of the Power
Unit (Figure 13). To enhance electrical conductivity
and contact between tooth and the probe, apply a
small amount of toothpaste to the metal tip.
Fig. 13
• Metal or ceramic surfaces cannot be used as
touch points for the Tooth Probes. Teeth selected
for pulp testing must possess enough exposed
enamel or dentin to allow the probe to make
contact without touching the gingiva or a metal
restoration. In certain cases, this may require the
use of a Precision Probe (included).
VITALITY TESTING WITH THE
DIGITEST 3 PULP TESTER
1. To activate the unit, press
and hold the start button
(Figure 14) for a half
second, and then release
the button. When the
button is depressed, the
display will show one row
of horizontal bars if the stimulus rate is set for
"SLOW", two rows for "MEDIUM", or three rows
for "FAST" (Figure 15).
2. If the desired stimulus rate mode was
displayed, the vitality test may proceed, as
detailed in Step 4.
3. If you wish to change the stimulus rate
mode, simply press the button and the mode
will change after the button is released.
NOTE: The unit will remember the last stim-
ulus rate mode setting, even if the device is
powered down.
4. Place the toothpaste-covered tip of the Tooth
Probe on the middle of the labial or lingual surface
of the tooth. Avoid soft tissue and restorations
such as crowns, amalgams or composites.
5. Depress and hold the button, and the display
number will rise, indicating that a gentle stimulus
is being automatically applied to the tooth. When
the patient indicates that they feel the stimu-
lus, they should let go of the metal Ground Clip,
which will stop the test immediately. The display
will freeze and hold the final reading for approxi-
mately 14 seconds, so it may be written down. The
unit will then automatically turn itself off.
Fig. 15
SLOW
Fig. 14
MEDIUM
4
6. The maximum stimulus reading is 64. Even if
there is no response at this level, there is still the
possibility that the tooth is vital. No sensation at
this number may simply indicate that the tooth is
non-responsive at the time of the test, possibly
from trauma. However, since teeth have been
known to recover from traumatic injury many
days after presenting with a "non-vital" reading,
follow up testing is almost always indicated after
any initial readings. If this reading persists over
several visits, it is reasonable to assume that
the tooth is non-vital. However, this conclusion
should always be confirmed by another accepted
endodontic testing method.
7. To confirm the diagnosis, a corresponding
control tooth in the same arch should be tested.
Molars should be matched to molars, premolars
to premolars, cuspids to cuspids, and incisors to
incisors. If this is not possible because teeth are
absent, endodontically treated, or have full cover-
age restorations, a similar tooth in the opposite
arch should be used.
CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS
• It is not possible to prepare a "table of normal
values" for pulp tester readings, because THERE
IS NO "NORMAL" IN PULP TESTING. Rather, the
clinician should perform sequential comparisons
between the subject tooth and the control tooth at
consecutive office visits, observing how the read-
ings are changing as time progresses. By utilizing
electric pulp testing, along with all available diag-
nostic information, it is often possible to predict
where the tooth's vitality is heading. This allows the
clinician to make informed decisions as to whether
endodontic therapy is appropriate, or whether it is
prudent to simply watch and wait.
• There are general anatomic trends in pulp vitality
readings. Posterior teeth generally require greater
stimulus than anteriors, probably because of the
greater thickness of enamel and dentin in poste-
rior teeth. Enamel requires a greater stimulus
than dentin or cementum, because of the higher
percentage of non-conductive mineral, and the
lower percentage of water. Similar cross-arch
teeth will have similar thresholds to stimulus.
• The stimulus threshold may also be affected by
such factors as the age, gender, previous pain
history of the patient, pulp chamber size, trauma,
pathology and use of prescription and non-pre-
scription medications, or illicit drug use.
• The Parkell Digitest 3 is to be used in conjunction
other diagnostic tests such as x-rays, tempera-
ture tests, percussion, etc. in order to confirm tooth
pulp vitality.
FAST