The inci-dence of a tooth presenting with a periapical radiolu-cency without a history of pain has been reported to be26^60% (Seltzer et al.1963b, Barbakow et al.1981, Bender2000).

his concept, that a tooth could have anin£ammatory reaction without pain, was later termeda‘painless pulpitis’ by Hasler & Mitchell (1970).

Seltzer et al. (1963a) showed that the only signi¢cantcorrelation between clinical signs and pulpal pathologywas with a history of spontaneous pain.