Pulpitis alleviated by cold water

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on September 28, 2024
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Relief from pulpitis with cold water is a typical clinical manifestation of acute suppurative pulpitis, characterized by pain with heat and relief with cold. It is common to see patients coming to the clinic holding cold water or holding cold water in their mouth to help alleviate the pain. For this type of acute suppurative pulpitis, the initial treatment should involve opening the pulp to relieve pressure. After the pressure is relieved, a devitalizing agent is used to devitalize the tissue, which is commonly referred to as "killing the nerve." Once the nerve is dead, the pulp tissue loses its sensory function, and the intensity of the pain will be alleviated.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Does pulpitis make it painful to tap the tooth?

Pulpitis does not necessarily cause pain when the tooth is tapped. When we talk about pain from tapping a tooth, it mainly refers to examining pain in the apical area. If tapping the tooth causes pain, it indicates that the inflammation has gathered at the root tip, manifesting as what is clinically described as tenderness upon percussion. Pulpitis may simply be a bacterial infection of the dental nerve, localized around the nerve or confined within the roots, where the nerve is infected but the apical nerve remains intact. In such cases, tapping the tooth would not cause pain. This means that in the early stages of pulpitis, there might not be tenderness upon percussion, but spontaneous pain from the dental nerve or pain triggered by temperature changes might still occur.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Can pulpitis heal by itself?

Pulpitis can pathologically be divided into reversible pulpitis and irreversible pulpitis. Reversible pulpitis can sometimes heal on its own if external thermal stimuli are removed. Clinically, it may manifest as pain intensified by temperature stimuli, which disappears after the stimuli are removed. This condition can improve on its own with appropriate soothing treatment. If pulpitis progresses to irreversible pulpitis, it cannot heal on its own and requires prompt root canal treatment to alleviate the condition. If it worsens, it may lead to symptoms of apical periodontitis, hence root canal treatment needs to be performed as soon as possible for pulpitis.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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Will pulpitis cause swelling of the mouth?

If pulpitis is not treated and controlled, the infection can become severe, leading to swollen gums and causing severe pain. During this period, periapical periodontitis can develop. The emergency treatment for acute periapical periodontitis should involve opening the pulp chamber under local anesthesia for drainage, and using the root canal to drain in order to alleviate the pressure at the root apex and relieve pain. Generally, care must be taken to avoid the swollen areas during local anesthesia, as it may cause intense pain and spread of the infection. Hydrogen peroxide can be used for local irrigation.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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How many days can pulpitis be cured?

Pulpitis can only improve by undergoing dental treatment, with most cases clinically arising from the progression of dental caries. If dental caries are not promptly filled in the early stages to halt their progression, bacteria can further infect and cause nerve damage. After a nerve-killing treatment for pulpitis, pain generally subsides. The specific duration depends on the nerve-killing medication used; some act quickly, usually within 2 days or 48 hours, killing the dental nerve and thus alleviating the pain of pulpitis. Others may act slowly, requiring about 2 weeks, or approximately 14 days.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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What is pulpitis?

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.