Making sense of sensibility: part 1.

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Endodontics
• Dental Diagnostics

Background:

• Thermal and electric pulp sensibility tests are standard clinical tools for diagnosing endodontic disease.
• These tests evaluate the response of Aδ nerve fibers in the pulp-dentine complex to indirectly assess pulpal health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide clinicians with an overview of common pulpal sensibility tests.
• To guide accurate endodontic diagnosis by explaining correct test execution, result interpretation, and limitations.

Main Methods:

• Overview of pulp testing principles and relevant terminology.
• Discussion of the diagnostic applications of pulp testing.
• Summary of the diagnostic accuracy of various pulp tests.

Main Results:

• Pulp sensibility tests indicate functioning nerve fibers but lack quantitative data on nerve function, blood flow, or histological status.
• Limitations include reliance on subjective patient responses and dentist interpretation.

Conclusions:

• Accurate endodontic diagnosis requires understanding the correct application and interpretation of pulp sensibility tests.
• Clinicians must be aware of the inherent limitations of these diagnostic methods.