A 53-year-old man has tooth #5 with a fractured lingual cusp and exposed dentin extending subgingivally. What is the best first step to manage the chief complaint?

Before definitive restorative steps, the clinician must assess restorability, including the extent of the subgingival fracture, ferrule availability, periodontal status, and pulpal condition; this determines whether the tooth can be saved and how.Other options: Temporizing addresses symptoms but skips diagnosis; pulp testing is part of, not the whole, assessment; crown preparation is premature before restorability is confirmed.Key exam takeaway: When a tooth fractures subgingivally, first assess restorability before committing to a restorative pathway.