The Effect of Different Irrigation Solutions on the Accuracy of Two Electronic Apex Locators in Locating Artificial Root Perforations

Objective: This study aimed to assess the accuracy of the Raypex 6 (VDW GmbH, Munich, Germany) and Root ZX mini (J. Morita Corp., Tokyo, Japan) electronic apex locators (EALs) with regard to detecting root perforations in dry conditions and in the presence of irrigation solutions [2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and Qmix]. Materials and Methods: Twenty single-rooted human teeth were perforated artificially with a 1 mm diameter in the middle region. The actual canal lengths up to the perforation site were determined, and then the teeth were embedded in an alginate mold. The electronic measurements of the perforations were obtained using a size #20 K-file for each EAL in various conditions. Results: There were significant differences between the different canal conditions in the Raypex 6 group (p0.05). There was a statistically significant difference (p0.05). Conclusion: Under the conditions of this study, both apex locators detected root canal perforations within a clinically acceptable (range of -0.18 to 0.31mm) distance from the coronal border of the perforation region. Irrigation solutions within the root canal affected the accuracy of Raypex 6, but not of Root ZX mini.