THE AIM OF THE STUDY

To determine the type of electric current with the greatest diagnostic value used to study the electrical sensitivity of teeth in inferior alveolar nerve neuritis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined 32 patients aged from 22 to 57 years, in whom neuritis of the inferior alveolar nerve developed due to traumatic removal of the lower third molar. There were 14 females and 18 males. To determine the electrical sensitivity of teeth four types of electric current were investigated: direct pulsating current, two types of alternating pulsating current, and pulsating current of sinusoidal form with a frequency of 50 Hz.

RESULTS

Direct pulse current of rectangular form, pulsating current of rectangular form, as well as pulsating current decaying in amplitude showed low diagnostic value in the study of tooth electrical sensitivity against the background of inferior alveolar nerve neuritis. This was due to a high hardware error, a large scatter of readings during repeated measurements and insufficient power of the devices. The greatest diagnostic value was shown by the sinusoidal current with a frequency of 50 Hz, which does not cause polarization of tissues, is easily dosed, causes clear but not painful sensations, gives the smallest scatter of indicators in repeated studies.

CONCLUSION

The comparative analysis of different types of current having the most adequate effect on the nerve-receptor —apparatus of the tooth at neuritis of the lower alveolar nerve has shown that the optimum parameters of the current correspond to the pulsating sinusoidal current with the frequency of 50 Hz.