Patent ID: 8215960

Claim:
An endodontic device for use in determining whether a root canal is dry or whether it contains moisture and/or aqueous sodium hypochlorite, comprising: an elongate body formed of a water absorptive material; a pH indicator applied to the water absorptive material that changes color in response to being exposed to moisture having a pH within a predetermined pH range; a pH changing material applied to the water absorptive material that causes water absorbed into the water absorptive material to have a pH within the predetermined pH range in order to thereby cause the pH indicator to change color when the water absorptive material is exposed to moisture within a root canal; and a dye applied to the water absorptive material which differs from the pH indicator and that imparts an initial color to the endodontic device before being exposed to moisture, wherein the pH indicator and pH changing material selectively change the endodontic device from the initial color to a second color if moistened with water that is devoid of sodium hypochlorite as a result of an interaction between the pH indicator, water and pH changing material, and wherein at least the dye and optionally the pH indicator is bleached out to colorless so as to change the endodontic device to a third color that differs from the initial color and the second color if moistened with aqueous sodium hypochlorite as a result of a bleaching reaction involving at least the dye and optionally the pH indicator.