CORRELATION BETWEEN NERVOUS ACCOMMODATION, SYMPTOMATOLOGY, AND HISTOLOGY OF NORMAL AND PATHOLOGIC TOOTH PULP: ITS APPLICATION TO ELECTRODIAGNOSIS

¹ Instituto de Fisiologia y Cátedra de Patología General, Escuela Dental, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile

Nervous accommodation of the sensitive elements of the pulp was determined in 152 teeth by measuring the accommodation index with 2 exponentially increasing currents of different rise-times.

Thirty-five teeth with pulpal necrosis were stimulated with the fastest exponential current.

Clinical symptoms were investigated to compare the efficiency of electrical and clinical methods in the diagnosis of pulp disturbances.

Results were checked by means of histologic examination of all the teeth studied.

Accommodation index showed a high correlation with the histologic pictures of the pulps, while clinical diagnosis showed a low correlation.

The accommodation indices of the normal and pathologic groups are statistically different, and decreased as disturbances increased.

Eighty per cent of teeth with pulpal necrosis did not react to electric stimuli, 17 per cent gave a response to more than 100 volts, and 2.8 per cent responded to fewer than 20 volts.

The stimulation with currents of exponential ascent was found to be painless, and the values reproducible and independent of tooth resistance.

Pulpal physiopathology was discussed.

The diagnosis of abnormal live pulps obtained with the accommodation index was considered of great importance to solve numerous clinical problems.