Direct measurement of time-dependent anesthetized in vivo human pulp temperature

AbstractObjectives intrapupal tooth temperature is considered to be similar to that of the body (≈37 °C), although the actual temperature has never been measured. This study evaluated the in vivo, human, basal, coronal intrapulpal temperature of anesthetized upper first premolars. s approval of the local Ethics Committee was obtained (protocol no. 255,945), upper right and left first premolars requiring extraction for orthodontic reasons from 8 volunteers, ranging from 12 to 30 years old, received infiltrative and intraligamental anesthesia. The teeth (n = 15) were isolated using rubber dam and a small, occlusal preparation was made using high-speed handpiece, under constant air–water spray, until a minute pulp exposure was attained. The sterile probe from a wireless, NIST-traceable, temperature acquisition system (Thermes WFI) was inserted directly into the coronal pulp. Once the probe was properly positioned and stable, real-time temperature data were continuously acquired for approximately 25 min. Data (°C) were subjected to 2-tailed, paired t-test (α = 0.05), and the 95% confidence intervals for the initial and 25-min mean temperatures were also determined. s itial pulp temperature value (31.8 ± 1.5 °C) was significantly lower than after 25-min (35.3 ± 0.7 °C) (p < 0.05). The 95% confidence interval for the initial temperature ranged from 31.0 to 32.6 °C and from 35.0 to 35.7 °C after 25 min. A slow, gradual temperature increase was observed after probe insertion until the pulp temperature reached a plateau, usually after 15 min. icance tent coronal, human, in vivo temperature values were observed and were slightly, but significantly below that of body core temperature.