Endodontic diagnosis: clinical aspects.

The objectives of this article are to review classic and current concepts on endodontic diagnosis, to describe the current classification of the pulp and periradicular diseases and to present and discuss the diagnostic tools available for endodontic diagnosis. The "SOAP" approach to endodontic diagnosis is a very efficient and simple method to accomplish accurate diagnosis. SOAP serves as a mnemonic to guide the clinician in data collection and stands for: Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan.