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Pulp Testing (pulp + testing)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Evaluation of radiographs, clinical signs and symptoms associated with pulp canal obliteration: an aid to treatment decision

DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Adeleke O. Oginni
The dental clinician faced with this condition has to make a difficult decision. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical signs and symptoms associated with teeth with PCO and to assess the status of the periapical tissues using the periapical index (PAI) as an aid in making a treatment decision. The study included teeth diagnosed with PCO in patients with a history of traumatic injury to the involved teeth. Histories of associated signs and symptoms including pain, swelling and drainage from a sinus tract were elicited. Tooth color, sensibility to electric pulp testing, mobility and percussion tenderness were recorded. The periapical status was assessed using the PAI. Two hundred and seventy-six teeth were diagnosed with PCO. One hundred and fifty-seven (56.9%) and 119 (43.1%) demonstrated partial or total PCO, respectively. Yellow discoloration presented most frequently, occurring in 186 (67.4%) teeth. Sixty-two (33.3%) of these had developed periapical lesions and reacted negatively to sensibility testing. Fifty-seven (30.7%) of these teeth presented radiographically with a normal periapical appearance and reacted normally to sensibility testing, whereas 67 (36.0%) presented with small changes in the periapical bone pattern and reacted in the high normal range to sensibility testing. Teeth with PAI scores ,2 presented with occasional spontaneous pain. Teeth with PAI scores ,3 presented with clinical symptoms and signs ranging from pain on percussion to spontaneous pain, and slight swelling to sinus tract drainage. Based on the findings of this study, endodontic treatment should be initiated in teeth with tenderness to percussion, PAI scores ,3 and a negative response to sensibility testing. [source]

Spontaneously healed horizontal root fracture in maxillary first premolar: report of a case

DENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Funda Kont Çobankara
Abstract,,, Root fractures of the posterior teeth are rare and occur as a result of severe trauma. This study describes the horizontal root fracture of a maxillary first premolar. The fractured roots were discovered during a routine radiographic examination. The tooth was asymptomatic and responded positively to electric pulp testing. The patient reported accidental trauma, which occurred 14 years before. Our case is an example of spontaneously healed fractured roots. The interesting findings were that the healing was observed even in the presence of two roots, including preservation of the vitality of the pulp. [source]

Assessment of pulp vitality: a review

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2009
VELAYUTHAM GOPIKRISHNA
Background., One of the greatest diagnostic challenges in clinical practice is the accurate assessment of pulp status. This may be further complicated in paediatric dentistry where the practitioner is faced with a developing dentition, traumatized teeth, or young children who have a limited ability to recall a pain history for the tooth in question. A variety of pulp testing approaches exist, and there may be confusion as to their validity or appropriateness in different clinical situations. Aim., The aim of this paper is to provide the clinician with a comprehensive review of current pulp testing methods. A key objective is to highlight the difference between sensitivity testing and vitality testing. A biological basis for pulp testing is also provided to allow greater insight into the interpretation of pulp testing results. The rationale for, and methods of, assessing pulpal blood flow are described. [source]

An investigation of language used by children to describe discomfort expected and experienced during dental treatment

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 5 2005
K. HARMAN
Summary., Objectives. A study of dental pulp testing has shown that children's linguistic comprehension and chronological age independently influence their descriptions of pain. The present study sought first to demonstrate this for expectations and experience of routine dental treatment, and secondly, to determine whether the effect of age was the result of previous dental and medical experience. Sample. Forty-six children between 6 and 17 years of age attending two paediatric dental clinics for routine invasive procedures comprised the study sample. Methods. To describe their expectations of forthcoming treatment, each child selected words from a published list, and gave ratings on scales describing the degree of severity as ,sore' or ,tingly'. They also completed the Child Dental Anxiety Scale and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale for Children. After treatment, they described the treatment with the same list and scales, then completed the British Picture Vocabulary Scale and a dental,medical history questionnaire. Results. The children, especially the most anxious ones, chose more words from the list for their expectations than for their experience of treatment, suggesting, as in previous studies, that they expected more discomfort than they experienced. Ratings of ,sore' and ,tingly' did not show this discrepancy. For both expectations and experience of treatment, the children with the largest vocabularies chose the fewest words, thus being more discriminating in their choices. However, vocabulary had no effect on ratings of ,sore' and ,tingly'. There were no significant relationships among age, estimates of discomfort and medical,dental histories. Conclusions. The results suggest that a list of adjectives provides the most discriminating measure of discomfort. They also show that it is necessary to take into account children's linguistic development to evaluate their estimates of pain so as not to entertain the belief of many clinicians that children exaggerate such reports. [source]