Reliability of electric pulp testing after pulpal testing with dichlorodifluoromethane

The purpose of this study was to determine if the sequence and interval between electric pulp testing and cold vitality testing with dichlorodifluoromethane affects the reliability of pulpal diagnostic testing. Sixty vital teeth in 15 volunteers were tested. Ten endodontically treated teeth were used as negative controls. After isolation and asepsis techniques, baseline threshold responses from a digital electric pulp tester were recorded from the maxillary incisors. A dichlorodifluoromethane-saturated cotton pellet was applied to teeth 8, 9, and 10. Electric pulp testing was repeated at 30-s, 1-min, and 2-min intervals on all test teeth after the cold test. The level of responses were recorded and statistically analyzed. The results of this study indicate that electric pulp testing is not adversely affected by the use of dichlorodifluoromethane.