Dental Pulp: Correspondences and Contradictions between Clinical and Histological Diagnosis
Table 1
Main criteria used in differential diagnosis between acute and chronic pulpitis.
Differential diagnosis between acute and chronic pulpitis
Criteria
Acute pulpitis
Chronic pulpitis
Dental history
First dental pain in the causal tooth which goes to dental emergencies
More episodes of dental pain caused which did not lead the patient to go at dental emergencies
Painkiller
Pain does not respond to analgesics
Pain goes to analgesics
Pain type
Intense, sharp, progressive
Dull or annoying
Onset
Suddenly, fulminatory
Insidious
Duration/time frame of occurrence
From a few hours to 24–48 hours
From several minutes to several hours (up to 2 hours)
Pain location
Irradiance, diffuse
Located
Stimulus
Heat and cold
A painful embarrassment often felt during chewing
Percussion in the tooth
Positive response
Negative response
Pulp test
Hyperexcitability at a lower intensity of thermal stimulant
Hypoexcitability at a higher intensity of thermal stimulant
Causes
Primary acute deep tooth decay or fillings adjacent but with pulp chamber closed
Primary chronic dental caries or recurrent under fillings adjacent but with pulp chamber closed or open. Affected teeth with dental erosion or vital teeth prepared for fixed prosthetic crown.
Radiograph
Coronary radiolucent areas (caused by tooth decay or erosion) or radiolucent coronal dentin under a filling but very close to the celling of pulp chamber