DIAGNÓSTICO PULPAR: UMA VISÃO CONTEMPORÂNEA E PESPECTIVA FUTURA

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.9602422073

• Palavras-chave: “pulp diagnosis”, “decayed teeth”, “traumatized teeth”, “sensitivity tests” and “vitality test”.

• Keywords: KEY-WORDS: “pulp diagnosis”, “decayed teeth”, “traumatized teeth”, “sensitivity tests” and “vitality test”.

• Abstract: The obtention of the pulp diagnosis is essential to initiate endodontic treatment planning. Pulp sensitivity/vitality tests are available and widely applied tools for this purpose, but they lack accuracy in detecting the inflammatory stage of the pulp tissue. Facing these limitations, the search for more precise methods to provide an accurate diagnosis and, consequently, a more effective treatment aiming for long-term success have been proposed. This chapter reviewed the literature, compared, and reflected on the scientific studies that evaluated the effectiveness of pulp sensitivity and vitality tests, observing their accuracy in determining the diagnosis of dental pulp status in traumatized and carious teeth, as well as the future prospects for improving diagnostic accuracy. The scientific articles were researched on the PubMed platform, including only clinical studies in English, published in the last 13 years, which addressed various types of pulp sensitivity and vitality tests. Based on these criteria, nineteen articles were selected to be studied and compared in order to enable an interpretation and association of information, allowing for an understanding of the diagnostic reliability of the different available pulp tests. With this information, it was possible to identify the limitations of these diagnostic tools, discuss the current paths that have been proposed, providing professionals with greater confidence and clarity regarding the actual pulp condition before deciding on the most appropriate therapeutic planning.