Tooth #9 has a long-standing gold crown; the patient dislikes it and has pain on chewing. A PA radiograph shows a large apical lesion, cold test negative, no caries. Which should the dentist NOT do as initial management?

Correct answer: C. Remove caries

• A. A biopsy may be appropriate to characterize a large apical lesion.
• B. RCT is the indicated treatment for a necrotic tooth (negative cold test) with apical pathology.
• C. Correct (should NOT). The radiograph shows NO caries, so "remove caries" is not a valid step — there are no caries to remove.
• D. Replacing the disliked crown is a reasonable eventual step in management.