Table 1 The clinical and radiographic criteria used to diagnose AA, CA and AAP
From: Thermography as a non-ionizing quantitative tool for diagnosing periapical inflammatory lesions
AA | CA | AAP | |
|---|---|---|---|
Clinical criteria | Throbbing and pain to light pressure, biting, touching and percussion accompanied by tenderness to palpation and mobility of the tooth. Intra-oral and/or extra-oral swelling may be present | Presence of a draining sinus on the oral mucosa or occasionally on the facial skin not usually associated with pain | Spontaneous pain, extreme sensitivity to heat and cold, awakening at night and considerable tenderness to percussion and pressure on the tooth |
Radiographic criteria | No evidence of periapical changes or a slight thickening of the periodontal ligament space | Periapical radiolucent area related to the apex of the tooth | Widening of the periodontal ligament space and loss of lamina dura around the apex |