SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF VISUAL ANALOG SCALE AND TOOTH VITALITY SCANNER IN EVALUATION OF LOWER LIP AND CHIN NUMBNESS COMPARED TO SCORING NEUROSENSORY TEST

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the sensitivity and specificity of visual analog scale (VAS) and tooth vitality scanner (TVS) in the evaluation of lower lip and chin numbness compared to scoring neurosensory test (SNST) and to compare the correlation between VAS, TVS, and SNST after simulating of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury by inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB). Materials and methods: Fifty-seven patients who required unilateral tooth removal under local anesthesia using IANB as a simulation of IAN injury. VAS, SNST, and TVS were performed at the lower lip and chin in 4 intervals: pre-injection (baseline), 2-5 (mild numbness); 8-12 (moderate numbness); 15-18 (severe numbness) minute post-injection. Results: At the lower lip and chin during mild and severe numbness, VAS showed a low specificity but a high sensitivity. Whereas, TVS at both the lower lip and the chin during mild to moderate numbness showed a low sensitivity while moderate to high specificity at all interval. Conclusions: To monitor nerve injury and increase the test's sensitivity, TVS is a useful supplement to VAS. When combined with other methods to measure numbness in the lower lip and chin, the multiple testing approach improves the sensitivity and specificity of the assessment.