Pulp Vitality Testing
A set of diagnostic procedures used to assess the neurovascular status of dental pulp, including thermal and electric stimulation tests.
Full Definition
Pulp vitality testing encompasses both sensibility tests, which evaluate neural response (cold, heat, electric pulp test), and true vitality tests that assess blood flow (laser Doppler flowmetry, pulse oximetry). Editors must distinguish between 'vitality' (blood supply) and 'sensibility' (neural response), as these terms are frequently conflated in clinical manuscripts. A tooth may respond to sensibility testing yet have compromised vascularity. Results are documented as positive (responsive), negative (non-responsive), or exaggerated, and always interpreted alongside radiographic findings.
Usage
Usage note: Editors should flag any manuscript that uses 'vitality' and 'sensibility' interchangeably; they are not synonymous in current endodontic literature.
In Context
- "Pulp vitality testing with cold stimulus yielded an exaggerated response in the maxillary left lateral incisor." — Clinical case report
- "The authors note that pulp vitality testing, rather than sensibility testing alone, provides more accurate pre-operative diagnosis." — Systematic review manuscript