DIAGNOSTIC EFFECTIVENESS OF CLINICAL AND RADIOGRAPHIC METHODS FOR ASSESSMENT OF PULPAL INVOLVEMENT IN DEEP CARIOUS LESIONS IN CHILDREN WITH MIXED DENTITION

Abstract

In children with mixed dentition, the high prevalence of dental caries creates a need for rapid and reliable clinical assessment, particularly when large numbers of patients require dental care. In mass dental examinations and public health settings, the use of additional diagnostic methods for every suspected deep carious lesion may increase examination time, resource requirements, and patient burden. Therefore, identifying how accurately pulpal involvement can be assessed using basic clinical methods is important for efficient patient screening and treatment planning. The present study focuses on determining the diagnostic value and limitations of basic clinical assessment, with radiographic examination used as an additional diagnostic method for comparison.