What is pulpitis?

Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

Updated on September 09, 2024

00:00

00:00

Pulpitis is also an inflammatory reaction occurring in the pulp tissue, caused by the further infection of bacteria when tooth decay is not timely halted, and it represents the natural conclusion of tooth decay. The dental tissues are divided into enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp tissue, with the pulp tissue located on the innermost side, which is commonly referred to as the dental nerve. If the bacterial infection is not promptly halted in the early stages within the hard tissues of the tooth, that is, if the tooth is not filled in time, the bacteria then further infect the innermost pulp tissue, causing inflammation of the pulp tissue, which is clinically referred to as pulpitis. Pulpitis involves severe pain, necessitating prompt root canal treatment for the tooth.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

46sec

home-news-image

How to deal with the pain from molar pulpitis?

Pulpitis in molars can be painful and requires dental treatment. During the treatment of pulpitis, the first step is to use a drill to remove the infected dentin and bone. If the dental nerve is exposed and the inflammation of the pulp is severe, a nerve-killing treatment can be conducted. In cases of acute inflammation, it is necessary to first open up the tooth. Once the inflammation subsides, nerve-killing treatment can proceed. Otherwise, the pressure is too great and the pain may intensify. If the pain is unbearable during the drilling process in the treatment of pulpitis, local anesthesia can be administered to the tooth. Once the anesthesia takes effect, the pain will be significantly less during the drilling stage.

home-news-image

Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

57sec

home-news-image

Can pulpitis be cured?

Pulpitis is caused by the further development of caries, which allows bacterial infection to reach the pulp tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. Caries is just a bacterial infection of the hard tissues of the teeth. If it is stopped in time, that is, by drilling to remove the infected part and filling the tooth, it is very difficult for pulpitis to occur. If the bacteria are not removed in time with a drill, further infection can cause inflammation of the tooth nerve, resulting in symptoms of pulpitis, including obvious pain from cold, heat, acidity, and sweetness stimuli, nighttime pain, and worsening with temperature stimuli. Pulpitis requires dental treatment, including nerve devitalization, medication after nerve death, and ultimately root canal filling. This means that a complete root canal treatment is needed to cure it.

home-news-image

Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

1min 3sec

home-news-image

Is pulpitis serious?

Pulpitis is a severe pain caused by bacterial infection of the pulp tissue, also known as the tooth nerve. The clinical symptoms of pulpitis are very severe, especially severe secondary pain, irritative pain, as well as indirect pain and pain that cannot be localized. Pulpitis results from the further development of dental caries. In the early stages of bacterial infection, if the carious decay of the tooth's hard tissue is not promptly filled, and if the progression of the caries is not timely halted, bacteria will further infect and cause inflammation of the tooth nerve, leading to pulpitis. This condition requires root canal treatment to alleviate the symptoms. Otherwise, the inflammation will further accumulate around the root apex, causing severe apical periodontitis and even leading to space infection or facial swelling.

home-news-image

Written by Li Bao Hua

Dentistry

49sec

home-news-image

Can pulpitis be detected with an X-ray?

Pulpitis is divided into normal pulpitis and retrograde pulpitis. Normal pulpitis is a further development from bacterial infection of the hard tissues of the tooth to the pulp tissues, which means it can be captured on an X-ray. It mainly presents as a low-density image near the pulp. This stage of pulpitis is normal, developed through the normal pathway, and can be identified on an X-ray. If the pulpitis is due to the development of a periodontal pocket, bacteria infect the root apex area retrogradely through the periodontal pocket, causing pathological changes in the pulp tissue of the root apex area. Retrograde pulpitis cannot be detected on an X-ray.

home-news-image

Written by Fang Xiao

Dentistry

1min 5sec

home-news-image

Can pulpitis heal by itself?

Pulpitis is more difficult to heal on its own. It is a disease caused by bacterial infection of the pulp tissue and is irreversible. The pulp is located inside the pulp chamber, and once inflammation occurs, it is difficult to heal on its own, and even if it heals, it is only temporary. Pulpitis requires timely treatment. If not treated promptly, the progression of the disease may lead to complications such as periapical periodontitis and periodontal abscess, which not only increase the difficulty of treatment but also cause pain to the patient, affecting their normal life. To treat pulpitis, it is necessary to remove the pulp and eliminate the infection inside the root canal with root canal treatment. Only by doing so can the tooth be preserved. Therefore, it is important to maintain oral hygiene, brush teeth in the morning and evening, rinse after meals, and use the internationally recognized Bass method for brushing.