Woman and Man
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Extract
Background and study aims Teeth injuries are considered one of the most challenging events that occur in dentistry, especially in children. After an injury, it is possible that the blood supply to the tooth may become affected and compromised leading to death of the nerves and blood vessels in the tooth, and therefore of the tooth itself. Once a tooth is dead, it is described as non-vital. The conventional diagnostic tools available to assess tooth nerve/blood supply are not always reliable. Child cooperation and understanding contribute greatly to this shortfall. Failure to assess the vitality of the tooth (that is, failure to assess whether the tooth is still alive) may result in de-vitalising a normal tooth (that is, saying a tooth is dead when it is not) which may render the tooth weak for the suturing (stitching) and possibly losing the tooth. A new non-invasive, non-patient contact, entirely safe and painless laser speckle contrast imaging technique has been developed. It is a method which visualizes tissue blood supply in the microcirculation (tiny blood vessels) instantaneously using a camera. It would be an excellent diagnostic tool for use detect the blood flow in the dental pulp. As a result, this study will look at testing this machine when used to assess the feasibility of recording blood flow in teeth. Who can participate? Children aged between 8-16 with one non-vital tooth and – preferably, a matching live (vital) tooth. What does the study involve? The blood flow of one non-vital and one vital tooth is tested in each patient using the laser speckle contrast imaging technique. The results are then used to assess the accuracy and reliability of the new machine. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? There are no direct benefits or risks associated with taking part in the study. Where is the study run from? Leeds Dental Institute (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? September 2016 to January 2017 Who is funding the study? University of Leeds (UK) Who is the main contact? Mr Nahar Ghouth
Inclusion criteria
- Blood supply to tooth pulp