Year : 2019

Volume : Volume 10

Issue : Issue 2

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Dhanpal Sadan.
DhanpalSadan@gmail.com

Abstract

Background:  With advancement in technology, usage of electronic apex locators (EALs) has become popular amongst endodontists owing to increased accuracy. Use of smart phones has also become indispensable.  Exposure to Electromagnetic waves (EMWs) emitted by smartphones can disrupt the functioning of EAL devices.  Materials and Methods: Fifty human maxillary incisors with out fractures or carious lesions were used.  Root ZX mini(J. MORITA Mfg. Corp, Japan)  and Easy apex- apex locators(Henan Co.,Ltd china) were used to measure canal length.  After access preparation, the working length was determined visually with a size 15 K-file under 2.5 x magnification using Loupes. The tooth was embedded in an alginate model. The working length was determined using EAL   1.   without the cell phone in the proximity. 2.  with the cell phone in 2G mode,  3.  with the cell phone  in 3G mode,  4.  with the cell phone in  4G mode and 5.  with the cell phone in internet calling mode. The values obtained were analyzed using Paired t-test and One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with a significance level of 5%. Results: The tooth exposed to EMWs emitted from cell phone, during 3G and 4G mode had no change in mean difference of the Canal length measurement as compared to the visual canal length measurement. Whereas tooth exposed to EMWs during 2G mode and internet whatsapp voice calling had significant difference in the canal length. Conclusion:  EMWs  emitted from cell phone in 3G and 4G mode does not cause malfunction of the Easy apex and Root ZX mini apex locators except during conversation with 2G and Internet WhatsApp  voice calling mode.

Keywords: Apex locators; canal length; cell phones; electromagnetic waves.