Diagnosis for pulpitis by means of pulpal blood flow

为了建立测量牙髓血流诊断牙髓炎的新方法，我们研制了一种新的测量牙髓血流的仪器。首先，我们研究了激光功率的增加对重要牙齿和非重要牙齿传输激光信号的影响，希望通过传输激光流量计更好地评估人类牙髓活力。实验对象为15名年龄22-28岁的患者，共61颗未修复的活牙（19颗上中切牙、16颗上侧切牙、16颗上犬齿和10颗第一前磨牙）和5颗非活上中切牙（根管填充胶）。对于传输激光，使用传统激光多普勒流量计（LDF）设备探头内的纤维，一根用于将光传输到唇表面，另一根用于在同一牙齿的腭表面接收光，如前所述。激光输出功率设置在原来的2兆瓦，也设置在5、7和10兆瓦。在每个激光功率设置下显示血流（BF）信号的活牙数量为：1)12/19个中门牙在2 mW下，19/19个5、7和10m W下，2)19/19个侧门牙在2、5、7和10 mW下，3)0/16个犬齿在2 mW下，但8、12和14个在5、7和10 mW下，4)0/10个第一前磨牙在2、5、7和10 mW下。因此，激光功率的增加增加了对较厚牙齿的BF检测（而不是前磨牙）。此外，与心率同步的BF信号更清晰，其次是血压的被动BF变化更大。在较高的激光设置下观察到BP的变化。在非重要牙齿中，没有观察到与心率或血压变化同步的信号，这表明即使激光功率增加，这种弹道光也没有监测到非牙髓源的血流信号。这些结果表明，高功率透射激光可以作为监测牙髓血流和评估牙髓活力的有用工具。少

To establish the new method for diagnosing pulpitis by means of measure pulpal blood flow, we develop a new apparatus for measuring pulpal blood flow. First, we investigate the effect of an increase in laser power on the transmitted laser signals from vital and non-vital teeth, in the hope of achieving a better assessment of human pulp vitality with the transmitted laser-light flowmeter. The experiments were carried out on total of 61 vital teeth with no restoration (19 upper central incisors, 16 upper lateral incisors, 16 upper canines, and 10 first premolars) and 5 non-vital upper central incisors (the root canals of which were filled with gutta-percha) in 15 subjects aged 22-28 years. For use with transmitted laser light, the fibers within the probe of a conventional laser Doppler flowmeter (LDF) apparatus were used, one for transmitting light onto the labial surface, the other for receiving it at the palatal surface of the same tooth, as reported previously. Laser output power was … More set at the original 2 mW and also at 5, 7, and 10 mW. The number of vital teeth displaying a blood flow (BF) signal at each laser power setting was : 1) 12/19 central incisors at 2 mW, 19/19 at 5, 7, and 10m W, 2) 19/19 lateral incisors at 2, 5, 7, and 10 mW, 3) 0/16 canines at 2 mW, but eight, twelve, and fourteen at 5, 7, and 10 mW, 4) 0/10 first premolars at 2, 5, 7, and 10 mW. Thus, an increase in laser power increased BF detection from the thicker teeth (but not from premolars). In addition, clearer BF signals synchronized with heart rate, and greater passive BF changes secondary to blood pressure. (BP) changes were observed at higher laser settings. In non-vital teeth, no signals synchronized with heart rate or BP changes were observed, indicating that no blood flow signal of non-pulpal origin was ever monitored with this ballistic light even when the laser power was increased. These results indicate that high-powered transmitted laser light could be a useful tool both for monitoring pulpal blood flow and for the assessment of tooth-pulp vitality. Less