Pulpitis is an inflammation of the pulp within the same tooth, which contains not only nerve endings or blood vessels, but also quite a lot of connective tissue of the tooth. It provides the tooth with blood and nutrients. Pulpitis is mainly caused by a bacterial infection, which leads to the secondary development of caries (tooth decay). The symptoms of pulpitis are manifested by toothache.
Severe toothache accompanying pulpitis mainly manifests itself either with a change in temperature or at night. For the initial stage of pulpitis, infrequent aching pains are characteristic. And for more advanced forms - attacks of pain of an increasing nature, pulsating and prolonged. Well, if this is already a chronic form of pulpitis, then pain is observed with exacerbations.
During the examination, the dentist taps in the tooth area. If such a procedure causes pain, then this is a signal of either purulent or chronic pulpitis. To establish an accurate diagnosis, one should take into account not only the patient’s sensations, but also a detailed examination of a specialist. In this case, the symptoms of pulpitis can be different, and they depend on the type of this ailment.
Pulpitis distinguish acute and chronic. The main symptom of acute pulpitis is often very severe pain, which spreads by the branches of the nerve and intensifies mainly at night. Such pain can be intermittent. The tooth reacts especially strongly to sudden changes in cold and hot temperature. But the symptoms of chronic pulpitis may be different depending on the subspecies of the disease. Such varieties are distinguished: gangrenous, fibrous and hypertrophic.
Fibrous pulpitis most often occurs almost asymptomatically, sometimes causing mild discomfort. Inspecting the carious cavity, the dentist discovers a fibrous polyp that is already atrophied. Gangrenous pulpitis causes significant pain when the tooth comes in contact with high temperatures, while low ones, on the contrary, slightly reduce pain.
Chronic pulpitis with exacerbation is accompanied by paroxysmal toothache, which occurs without the intervention of external stimuli in itself.
The cause of pulpitis is most often the presence of microbes and their toxins, which can penetrate from the carious cavity of the tooth directly into the pulp. The causative agent is streptococcus, as well as lactobacilli and staphylococci. First, the areas near the cavity are infected, and then the root pulp. Tooth pulpitis can also cause tooth trauma (a broken part of the crown or trauma to the tooth itself). Form pulpitis temperature or chemical factors (alkali or acid) are also capable.
It is with toothache associated with the development of pulpitis that patients most often turn to the dentist. When a doctor treats pulpitis, he must not only eliminate the symptoms of pulpitis and the focus of inflammation that is in the pulp, but also eliminate the pain. And also stimulate the healing process and prevent the development of periodontitis and restore the shape and function of the tooth.
Before treating pulpitis, its prevention is carried out, which consists in timely regular treatment of tooth decay . You can treat it using several methods. These include drilling and filling a tooth (for reversible pulpitis), treating a root canal and installing a crown or removing it (for irreversible pulpitis), and taking antibiotics.
When pulpitis is reversible, it is possible to maintain the vitality of the pulp itself. This is done when treating a tooth by removing tooth decay, after which the tooth needs restoration.
With irreversible pulpitis and its complication, the use of endodontic therapy is required, which consists in the treatment of root canals. If the treatment does not help, then the tooth should be removed immediately. After such root canal therapy, healing takes about a month. If the patient has systematic symptoms of infections, then an antibiotic course is prescribed. If symptoms persist or worsen, repeated therapy is recommended.