Análise da acurácia do teste de sensibilidade pulpar no diagnóstico das alterações pulpares: estudo piloto

Abstract

Goal: This work had as a main goal to evaluate the accuracy of the refrigerant gas with the spray of tetrafluoroethane on the diagnosis of pulpal pathologies. Methods: The research was developed on the clinical observational study model, involving 60 patients, with indications of endodontic treatment not conservative of single-rooted or multi-rooted teeth. After anamnesis, clinical exam, application of pulp sensibility test and radiographic exam, the data were recorded and the pulpal diagnosis defined. Afterwards, the patients were anaesthetized, the tooth isolated and the access of the pulp chamber realized, looking the presence or absence of bleeding, as a criteria to define living or necrotic pulp, respectively. The data were described on charts by the absolute frequency (n) and relative (%), and measures of sensibility, specificity, accuracy, predictive positive value and predictive negative value. To compare was used Fisher’s test adopting the significance level of 5% (p<0,05). Results: The pulp sensibility test with tetrafluoroethane spray demonstrated a accuracy of 0,93, sensibility of 0,984, specificity of 0,862, predictive positive value of 0,866 and predictive negative value of 0,98. Conclusion: The use of the refrigerant gas with tetrafluoroethane can be considered an auxiliary method, precise and reliable to define the condition of the pulp, either living or necrotic.