EVALUATION OF A PULSE OXIMETER AND CUSTOMIZED PROBE FOR PULP VITALITYTESTING

Current routine methods for assessment of pulp vitality rely on stimul ation of A delta nerve fibers and give no direct indication of blood f low within the pulp. Recent papers have suggested that pulse oximeters may be used to diagnose pulp vitality by detection of blood flow. In this study, an optimized pulse oximeter probe for teeth was designed, built, and tested using the Biox 3740 Oximeter (Ohmeda, Louisville, CO ). Following preliminary in vitro tests, the probe was tested clinical ly. Pulse waveforms from maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth were noted. Simultaneous readings from the subjects' finger were used as co ntrols. Pulse wave readings from the teeth were found to be synchronou s with the finger probe, but not consistently. It was easier to mainta in continuous readings from mandibular incisors than from maxillary in cisors. The average percentage synchronization with the pulse was 28.9 5% for maxillary incisors and 50.28% for mandibular incisors. This dif ference was significant (p = 0.05). The overall accuracy of the commer cial instrument was disappointing, and in its present form it was not considered to have predictable diagnostic value.