Estimation of the Percentage of Oxygen Saturation in Diseased Anterior teeth: An In Vitro study

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this in-vivo study is to estimate the percentage of oxygen saturation in teeth with reversible and irreversible pulpitis, pulp necrosis, and traumatized teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY: 187 samples of ealthy and diseased teeth were chosen according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and grouped according to AAE classification into one of the following four groups namely, Group I:Traumatized teeth, Group II : Reversible pulpitis, Group III : Irreversible pulpitis, Group IV: Pulp necrosis. The healthy tooth of the same patient was selected as the control, and heat and cold tests were performed. This was followed by measuring the oxygen saturation of the control tooth using a pulse oximeter. In a modified se-up with a specialized stabilizer the test tooth was isolated, heat and cold tests were performed followed by measuring the oxygen saturation with the pulse oximeter for the diseased tooth. ANOVA and T-test were used to compare the means between the means of healthy and diseased teeth. RESULT: The mean oxygen saturation of healthy teeth was 90.78%. The mean oxygen saturation for traumatized teeth, reversible pulpitis, irreversible pulpitis, and pulp necrosis was recorded to be 68.52% ,84.59%, 80.71%, 62.04%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The pulse oximeter was able to effectively record the oxygen saturation of the healthy tooth. The mean oxygen saturation of healthy teeth was recorded to be 90.78% which was higher than the mean oxygen saturation levels of other studies undertaken before. The current study recorded a mean oxygen saturation of the healthy tooth which was significantly higher than that of the diseased teeth. A nonsignificant variation between the SpO2 values of anterior teeth between gender groups was noted. The lowest oxygen saturation was seen in cases of pulp necrosis recording a value of 68.52%.The higher SpO2 values in reversibly pulpitis, irreversible pulpitis and pulpal necrosis and traumatized teeth is probably due to experimental situation such as placement of a stabilizer to prevent possible minor shivering movements which was set up in a dark room to prevent variations in reading caused by light disturbances