Evaluation of electronic devices for measuring root canal length in primary teeth

Accuracy of Electronic Apex Locators in working length determination in primary teeth: a quasi-experimental study

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

REBEC

Registry ID

RBR-25fftnt

Enrollment

Registered

2026-07-30

Start date

2026-09-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-08-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pediatric dentistry

Interventions

This is a quasi-experimental, non-randomized, open-label clinical study. The intervention will be performed on primary molars indicated for extraction and presenting one or more root canals with physi

s instructions. Subsequently, local anesthetic solution will be administered by infiltration using a 30G, 23-mm short needle (Septodont, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France), with an injection rate of 1 min

Eligibility

Age

5 Years to 10 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Healthy children (ASA I and II), aged 5 to 10 years, of either sex, presenting with at least one primary maxillary or mandibular molar indicated for extraction, as confirmed by clinical and radiographic examination, based on the following criteria: pulpectomy contraindicated due to the inability to achieve adequate rubber dam isolation, inability to perform a definitive restoration, or the presence of one or more root canals exhibiting physiological and/or pathological root resorption exceeding half of the root length

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Patients with negative behavior, acute pain, a history of allergy to the components of the local anesthetic solution, a previous history of hemorrhage or coagulation disorders, neurological disorders, or liver disorders will be excluded from the study. In addition, teeth presenting with apparent root canal obliteration, internal root resorption, or those that fracture during the extraction procedure will also be excluded.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
The accuracy of the Root ZX II and Micropex electronic apex locators in determining the working length of primary teeth is expected to be evaluated by comparing the measurements obtained with the apex locators to the direct visual working length measurement after tooth extraction. The absolute error between each electronic measurement and the direct visual measurement will be assessed, with measurements within ±0.5 mm of the gold standard considered acceptable	—

Measure

Time frame

The accuracy of the Root ZX II and Micropex electronic apex locators in determining the working length of primary teeth is expected to be evaluated by comparing the measurements obtained with the apex locators to the direct visual working length measurement after tooth extraction. The absolute error between each electronic measurement and the direct visual measurement will be assessed, with measurements within ±0.5 mm of the gold standard considered acceptable

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Compare the accuracy of the two devices; Evaluate the accuracy of the radiographic method, the electronic apex locator, and the direct visual method in determining the working length of primary teeth	—

Countries

Contacts

Public ContactMariane Cardoso

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

mariane_cardoso@hotmail.com+55(48) 3721-9525

Outcome results

None listed

Source: REBEC (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Aug 10, 2026