parkell DIGITEST 3 Mode D'emploi page 6

Fig. 11
that when the vitality test is underway,
they should indicate, either verbally or by
carefully raising their hand (for test utilizing
the "Finger Hold" of the Ground Clip, they
should raise their free hand), at the first sign
of an awareness of the stimulus in the tooth.
As soon as they make you aware, you will
stop the test by releasing pressure on the
button and removing the probe from contact
with the tooth surface.
• For the Finger Hold Method, the doctor
has the option of giving the patient some
control over the testing procedure. This is
done by telling the patient they can make
the sensation in the tooth stop if they let go
of the Ground Clip. Letting go of the Ground
Clip will not turn off the Digitest 3 and will
not stop the numbers on the digital screen
from continuing to count higher. It will only
stop the patient from feeling the stimulus.
• IMPORTANT: This option should be
offered on a limited basis, and only to
patients who may be hesitant to undergo
the procedure due to concerns of feeling
extreme discomfort. Patients offered the
"Drop Clip" alternative may anticipate
discomfort and drop the clip prematurely,
thereby compromising the accuracy of the
test results.
• Insert Tooth Probe into the open end of the
Power Unit (Figure 11). To enhance electrical
conductivity and contact between tooth
and the probe, apply a small amount of
toothpaste to the metal tip.
• Metal or ceramic surfaces cannot be used
as touch points for the Tooth Probes. Teeth
selected for pulp testing must possess
enough exposed enamel or dentin to allow
the probe to make contact without touching
the gingiva or a metal restoration. In
certain cases, this may require the use of a
Precision Probe (included).
Vitality Testing with the Digitest
3 Pulp Tester
1. To activate the unit, press and hold the start
button (Figure 12) for a half second, and
then release the button. When the button is
6
Fig. 12 Fig. 13
Slow Medium
depressed, the display will show one row of
horizontal bars if the stimulus rate is set for
"SLOW", two rows for "MEDIUM", or three
rows for "FAST" (Figure 13).
2. If the desired stimulus rate mode was
displayed, the vitality test may proceed, as
detailed in Step 4.
3. If you wish to change the stimulus rate mode,
simply press the button and the mode will
change after the button is released.
NOTE: The unit will remember the last
stimulus rate mode setting, even if the
device is powered down.
4. Place the toothpaste-covered tip of the Tooth
Probe on the middle of the labial or lingual
surface of the tooth. Avoid soft tissue and
restorations such as crowns, amalgams or
composites.
5. Depress and hold the button, and the display
number will rise, indicating that a gentle
stimulus is being applied to the tooth.
6. When the patient indicates that they feel the
stimulus, pressure on the button should be
released. Releasing pressure on the button
will stop the test and freeze the digital
screen. The screen will remain illuminated
for approximately 14 seconds once pressure
is released, which is enough time to remove
the probe from contact with the tooth and
record the number at which the patient
felt sensation.
7. The maximum stimulus reading is 64. Even
if there is no response at this level, there is
still the possibility that the tooth is vital. No
sensation at this number may simply indicate
that the tooth is non-responsive at the time
of the test, possibly from trauma. However,
since teeth have been known to recover from
traumatic injury many days after presenting
with a "non-vital" reading, follow-up testing
is almost always indicated after any initial
readings. If this reading persists over several
visits, it is reasonable to assume that the
tooth is non-vital. However, this conclusion
should always be confirmed by another
accepted endodontic testing method.
8. To confirm the diagnosis, a corresponding
control tooth in the same arch should be
Fast