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Irreversible Pulpitis Diagnosis — NDEB AFK MCQ

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EasyEndodonticsIrreversible Pulpitis DiagnosisNDEB AFK

Irreversible pulpitis is characterised by which of the following clinical findings?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: ASpontaneous pain, lingering pain response to thermal stimuli (>30 seconds), and/or pain disturbing sleep

Irreversible pulpitis presents with spontaneous (unprovoked) pain, exaggerated and lingering response to thermal stimuli (cold or heat that persists >30 seconds after stimulus removal), pain that may wake the patient from sleep, and possible difficulty localising the affected tooth. It indicates that the pulp inflammation has progressed beyond the point of recovery, and the pulp will inevitably become necrotic. Treatment is pulpectomy (root canal treatment) or extraction — pulp capping is NOT indicated.

Reference: Torabinejad – Endodontics: Principles and Practice, 6th ed., 2021