Can pulpitis be cured?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on September 17, 2024
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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.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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How is pulpitis caused?

Pulpitis is generally caused by the progression of dental caries. Bacteria infect the hard tissues of the tooth, which is referred to as dental caries in the early stages. If the decayed parts are not removed in time for dental filling, meaning the teeth are not filled promptly, the bacteria will further infect the pulp tissue, leading to pulpitis. Pulpitis is actually the outcome of further bacterial development. However, if pulpitis is not treated in time, the inflammation can advance to the root apex, causing apical periodontitis. Therefore, pulpitis requires prompt endodontic treatment of the tooth. After controlling the inflammation, the root canal is filled. Following the filling of the root canal, the top of the tooth crown is sealed, which involves the filling of the tooth.

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Pulpitis alleviated by cold water

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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Do I go to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for pulpitis?

Pulpitis requires a visit to the department of stomatology or the department of dental cariology and endodontics. Some hospitals, with more detailed department divisions, differentiate between adults and children. Generally, individuals under 18 years old fall under the pediatric dentistry department. Those 18 and older need to visit the department of dental cariology and endodontics. Pulpitis is a painful condition caused by bacterial infection of the dental nerve, clinically manifested by pain when eating, night-time pain, localized pain, and worsening pain upon exposure to hot and cold stimuli. Treatment for pulpitis involves root canal therapy. This involves drilling to remove the infected dental tissue, then performing root canal medicament filling, followed by inflammation control and root canal filling.

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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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Does pulpitis not require treatment?

Pulpitis must be treated promptly. Pulpitis is when the dental pulp inside the tooth cavity, where the nerves are located, gets infected or damaged. Early symptoms often include severe pain such as spontaneous pain, intermittent pain, pain due to temperature stimuli, and nocturnal pain. If the inflammation and lesions are not removed, the pulpitis can spread to the root apex with the necrotic tissue, causing destruction of the root apex tissues and leading to periapical periodontitis. If periapical periodontitis is left untreated, it can lead to cysts at the root apex, causing chronic periapical periodontitis. Periapical periodontitis may also spread to the bone marrow or adjacent interstitial tissues, leading to interstitial infections or osteomyelitis, which are very serious conditions. Therefore, pulpitis must be treated promptly. Since the pulp chamber is a closed tissue, infections typically require root canal treatment for a complete cure.