A comparison of laser Doppler flowmetry with other methods of assessing the vitality of traumatised anterior teeth

Laser Doppler flowmetry is a non-invasive electrooptical technique which al lows the semi-quantitative recording of pulpal blood flow. This study aimed to determine the reliability (measured as the sensitivity and specificity) of laser Doppler flowmetry as a method of assessing the vitality of trauma tised anterior teeth, and to compare it with standard pulpal diagnostic tes ts. Recordings of pulpal blood flow were taken from 67 non-vital anterior t eeth (55 patients), where the pulpal status tvas confirmed by pulpectomy. F or comparison, recordings were also taken from 84 vital anterior teeth (84 patients). Analysis of the recordings allowed diagnostic criteria to be dev eloped which gave the technique a sensitivity and specificity of 1.0 for th is sample. None of the other standard pulpal diagnostic methods tested was as reliable. This was usually due to low sensitivities, which ranged betwee n 0.92 for sensibility testing with. ethyl chloride down to 0.36 for periap ical radiolucency and 0.16 for a history of pain. Laser Doppler flowmetry w as found to be a reliable method of assessing the pulpal status of traumati sed anterior teeth, although it is technique-sensitive and time-consuming t o use.