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  • Title: Endodontic diagnosis. Mystery or mastery?
    Author: West JD.
    Journal: Dent Today; 2004 May; 23(5):80-7. PubMed ID: 15164479.
    Abstract:
    UNLABELLED: Review of 6 clinical distinctions: (1) Symptom: "anything under the sun." DIAGNOSIS: pulp exposure. Duplicate: clinical or radiographic pulp exposure evidence. TREATMENT: endodontics or pulp cap under strict protocol conditions. (2) Symptom: "cold." DIAGNOSIS: hyperemia. Duplicate: ice. TREATMENT: pulp protection or endodontics. (3) Symptom: "heat." DIAGNOSIS: pulpitis. Duplicate: heat. TREATMENT: pulpotomy for multirooted teeth or pulpectomy for single-rooted teeth. Schedule endodontic completion. (4) Symptom: "I recently had a toothache and now it is gone." DIAGNOSIS: necrosis. Duplicate: Electric Pulp Test and ice are negative. TREATMENT: endodontics. (5) Symptom: "I had a toothache awhile back and now it is gone." DIAGNOSIS: LEO. Duplicate: Electric Pulp Test, ice, and test cavity are negative. TREATMENT: endodontics. (6) Symptom: "It really hurts to touch my tooth." DIAGNOSIS: percussion. Duplicate: may or may not have a LEO and may or may not have cellulitis. TREATMENT: reduce occlusion, access cavity, water chew, and schedule to finish endodontics. If these tests are carefully performed, then they are objective and the doctor does not have to be in a subjective situation. A newfound sense of endodontic diagnostic mastery is experienced. Perhaps the best way to summarize the simplicity of this clinical diagnostic scheme is to quote Sherlock Holmes: "Nothing is more deceptive than the obvious."
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