CONTEMPORARY DIAGNOSTIC AIDS IN ENDODONTICS

Management of any problem starts with an accurate diagnosis and this is not different in the field of endodontics. The diagnosis of dental pulp status should be seen as a synthesis of history, clinical examination, special tests and radiological examination, and not as the outcome of any one specific test. With the advent of technologies in our day to day life we need the help of technologies in dentistry also. An effort has been made to provide readers with contemporary, evidence based prospective on endodontic diagnosis. Vitality testing is an important aid in the diagnosis of pulp disease and apical periodontitis. The ideal pulp test method should provide a simple, objective, standardized, reproducible, nonpainful, noninjurious, accurate and inexpensive way of assessing the condition of the pulp tissue. This article describes the various technologies that are available to aid the dental practitioner in detecting a tooth with a relevant endodontic disease. It also explains the need and limitation of the technologies as an aid in our management of endodontically affected tooth.