A bite test is a short-term, tooth-colored restoration placed to help evaluate biting-related symptoms. It is most often used when a tooth hurts on chewing and the cause is not yet fully confirmed. Clinicians commonly use it in cracked-tooth and cusp-fracture workups to see how symptoms change. It can also provide temporary protection while planning a longer-lasting restoration.

transillumination is a dental viewing technique that shines a bright light through a tooth to help reveal internal changes. It works by highlighting differences in how healthy enamel and dentin transmit and scatter light compared with cracks or decay. Dentists most commonly use it during routine exams and cavity detection, especially between teeth. It can also support evaluation of cracks, existing fillings, and some soft-tissue findings, depending on the device.

crack detection is the clinical process of finding and confirming cracks in teeth or restorations. It commonly uses visual inspection plus tools such as magnification, special lighting, bite tests, and dental imaging. It helps explain symptoms like sharp pain on biting or temperature sensitivity when a crack is present but not obvious. It is used in routine checkups, emergency visits, and before repairing or replacing fillings and crowns.

An electric pulp test is a dental test that applies a small electrical stimulus to a tooth. It checks whether the tooth’s pulp (the nerve and blood vessel tissue inside) can respond to stimulation. It is commonly used during examinations for tooth pain, suspected nerve inflammation, or before/after endodontic (root canal) treatment. It provides one piece of information that dentists combine with symptoms, X-rays, and other tests.

cold test is a dental diagnostic procedure that checks how a tooth responds to a brief cold stimulus. It is commonly used to evaluate the dental pulp (the nerve and blood supply inside the tooth) when a patient reports sensitivity or toothache. Dentists use it chairside as part of a broader exam to help identify which tooth is involved and how the pulp may be responding. The result is interpreted alongside symptoms, clinical findings, and imaging when needed.

A pulp sensibility test checks whether a tooth’s nerve can respond to a stimulus such as cold, heat, or a small electrical signal. It is commonly used during dental exams to help investigate tooth pain, deep cavities, or possible pulp irritation. It does not directly measure blood flow inside the tooth. Results are interpreted together with symptoms, X‑rays, and clinical findings.

pulp vitality describes whether the dental pulp inside a tooth is living and functioning. The pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Dentists assess pulp vitality during exams to help explain symptoms like sensitivity or toothache. It is commonly discussed in restorative dentistry, dental trauma care, and endodontics (root canal-related care).

Cvek pulpotomy is a conservative “partial pulpotomy” technique used to treat a small, injured portion of the dental pulp. It is most commonly used after a tooth is chipped or fractured and the pulp becomes exposed. The goal is to keep the remaining pulp alive and healthy while sealing the tooth. It is often discussed in the context of young permanent teeth where continued root development is important.

partial pulpotomy is a dental procedure that removes a small, shallow portion of inflamed or contaminated dental pulp from the top of the pulp chamber. The goal is to keep the remaining pulp tissue alive and healthy while sealing the tooth to prevent further irritation or bacterial leakage. It is commonly used after a small pulp exposure caused by tooth decay removal or dental trauma (such as a chipped front tooth). It is most often discussed in the context of vital pulp therapy, especially in young permanent teeth, but it can be considered in other cases too.

pulpotomy is a dental procedure that removes the inflamed or infected **coronal pulp** (the top portion of the nerve tissue inside a tooth). It aims to keep the **root pulp** (the tissue in the roots) healthy and functional. It is commonly used in **children’s primary (baby) teeth**, and in selected cases in **immature permanent teeth**. It is part of “vital pulp therapy,” meaning the goal is to preserve living pulp when appropriate.