Electronic foramen locators: when and how to use them

Bruno Carvalho de VASCONCELOS, Luciana Maria Arcanjo FROTA e Ricardo Affonso BERNARDES

New technologies have been incorporated into endodontic protocols in order to facilitate or make the performance of the professionals who perform them easier or more efficient. In this perspective, foraminal electronic locators (LEFs) present themselves as almost indispensable tools for a correct determination of the actual length of the ducts. The latter, in turn, is of vital importance so that endodontic procedures are more accurate and are limited to the extensions desired by the endodontist, not delegated by chance or anatomical variations in the relationship between the apical foramina (FA) and the radiographic vertices. Given the above, the goal of this article is to discuss the LEFs’ employment protocols and the influence that some clinical conditions can have on the accuracy of these devices. Based on the available scientific evidence, aspects such as the adjustment of the instrument and its relationship with cervical preparation, the apical penetration limit and the sequence of use of the LEF, as well as the foraminal condition, seem to significantly interfere with the observed precision values. It is evident that the knowledge of the operation of the locators and their relationship with the different clinical situations allows them to be used more effectively, increasing their precision and extracting from the equipment, whatever the best result, favoring the correct obtaining of the length of the root canal, thus collaborating for the realization of a more predictable and quality Endodontics

Keywords: Endodontics, Foraminal Electronic Locators, Clinical Protocols.

How to cite: Vasconcelos BC, Frota LMA, Bernardes RA. Electronic foramen locators: when and how to use them. Dental Press Endod. 2020 Jan-Apr;10(1):12-9.

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