Diagnosis of Root Lesions

The root lesions may happen in various ways and the severity and extend of the negative effect also varies vastly. Diagnosis is really difficult and expert endodontists can do the job efficiently. As the root lesion comes in different categories as given above, the diagnosis consists of many steps

1. Taking the medical history
2. Clinical examination
3. Periodontal probing
4. Pulp testing
5. Radiographs
6. Recording the status

Taking the medical history

The medical history which is in detail should be obtained from a patient suffering. This will help and provide the first step in diagnosis and the symptoms and problems explained by the patients gives the doctor an insight of the problem.

Clinical examination

The endodontic and periodontal examination has to be done completely in order to confirm the problem and to see if any other problem, issues or disease are there along with the root lesion problem. The examination should include checking of the palpation, periodontal probing, mucosal tissues inspection, gingival inspection, percussion, biting tests, radiographic examination, mobility testing etc.

Periodontal probing

This helps in understanding how deep the periodontal pockets are affected and to what extent the attachment is lost. It should be done not just for one tooth but the entire dentition and any bleeding or other symptoms have to be noted.
Pulp testing

If the pulp is affected by the root lesion, the severity has to be identified using dry ice (carbon dioxide) and electric pulp tester. According to the severity, the treatment needed can be selected and implemented

Radiographs

Radiographs are the most efficient tool in diagnosing the depth and severity of the problem related to root lesion. The readings from the radiographs are noted and kept as record.

Recording the status

This is the last step in diagnosing the root lesion problem. This gives an account of the current status and after the treatment; this only helps in comparison and identifying how far the problem is fixed or whether the problem is completely omitted.

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Authored By Dr.C.M.Bejoy Mony, M.D.S.