What are the symptoms of pulpitis?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on September 12, 2024
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Pulpitis is a painful condition that occurs due to bacterial infection of the dental pulp tissue. Pulpitis has its own typical symptoms, including pain triggered by temperature changes. Eating foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet can cause severe pain in the dental nerves. Additionally, temperature stimuli intensify the pain; both cold and hot water can cause tooth pain. During the acute suppurative phase, there is pain with heat and relief with cold, meaning drinking hot water causes pain, whereas drinking cold water can alleviate it. Another typical characteristic of pulpitis includes nighttime pain; often there is less pain during the day, but at night or after falling asleep, the pain can awaken the individual from sleep.

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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.

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Does root canal treatment for pulpitis hurt?

During the treatment process of pulpitis root canal, there will be some pain. Pulpitis is caused by bacterial infection that leads to inflammation of the dental nerve, and the pain is very intense. First, the ocular nerve should be treated, and pulp extraction can be performed under local anesthesia. During this stage, if anesthetic is administered, the pain will not be so apparent. If no local anesthesia is applied, it is still possible to proceed directly with opening the pulp chamber, but there will be intense pain at the moment of opening. After opening the pulp chamber, the pressure is relieved, and the pain symptoms of pulpitis often can be alleviated. Additionally, medication can be sealed into the root canal, and after controlling the inflammation, the root canal can be filled. During the process of sealing medication and filling the root canal, stimulation of the root apex area may cause discomfort in that area.

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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.

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Remedies for Tooth Pulpitis Pain at Night

Pulpitis pain is a type of acute pain that occurs after the dental nerve is infected by bacteria. The pulp tissue is a soft tissue, surrounded by the hard dentin and bone. Therefore, once the pulp tissue is infected, the pressure inside the pulp cavity increases rapidly, and if this pressure is not relieved, it can lead to sharp, severe pain, especially at night, often waking one from sleep. Pulpitis pain at night first requires prompt medical attention, followed by pulp opening and drainage. After the inflammation subsides, it can effectively relieve the pain. If medical attention is not available in time, oral analgesics can be taken for pain relief.

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Can a tooth with pulpitis be extracted?

Pulpitis cannot be treated by tooth extraction. Initially, pulpitis involves an inflammatory response in the pulp tissue. Extracting the tooth at this stage can cause the inflammation to spread throughout the body and, in severe cases, can lead to sepsis. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to avoid tooth extraction during a pulpitis attack. However, dental treatment can be performed during a pulpitis flare-up. Firstly, the acute pain in pulpitis is caused by increased pressure within the pulp. The primary method involves performing a pulpotomy to relieve this pressure. Once the pressure is alleviated, root canal medication can be applied, followed by root canal filling to complete the root canal treatment and preserve the tooth.