Pulpitis: symptoms and treatment

Pulpitis is one of the most unpleasant dental diseases that often results from untreated tooth decay. Inflammation of the nerve can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. We'll tell you how to save a tooth, and also consider whether a "dead tooth" can perform its functions.

What is pulpitis?

Pulpitis or inflammation of the nerve of the tooth is one of the complications of tooth decay. This disease appears as follows: the carious formation spreads deep, the infection passes through the dentin and goes to the pulp, which becomes inflamed and gradually dies. The nerve is responsible for the nutrition and health of the tooth, so if pulpitis is not treated, you could end up losing your tooth.

Do you want your teeth to always be healthy? Then visit your dentist on a regular basis. One visit every six months is enough so that your dentist can monitor the condition of your teeth and detect any problems at the earliest stage.

Symptoms of pulpitis

At the earliest stage, pulpitis can only be detected by a doctor after a thorough diagnosis. When the disease develops, characteristic symptoms are manifested:

• sharp pain, which intensifies at night and in the evening
• a pronounced reaction to hot or cold food and drinks, which does not pass for a long time
• spontaneous attacks of pain that occur after certain periods of time
• it is impossible to determine the source of pain, sometimes it seems that the whole jaw hurts.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. Procrastination can lead to tooth loss, and removing the nerve will save your tooth.

Try to remember as accurately as possible the nature of the pain and what time it occurs. At your appointment, be sure to tell your dentist about it. This way, your dentist will be able to make a more accurate diagnosis.

How to treat pulpitis

Pulpitis requires timely therapy in the clinic. If you decide to dull the pain with pills, you will only make it worse. The medicine will not eliminate the cause, and in the meantime, the infection will increasingly affect your tooth. When treating this condition, you need to stop the infection from spreading. Therefore, the doctor carefully removes the affected part of the nerve, treats the canals of the tooth with antiseptic and carefully fill the tooth.

In the past, neglected teeth were extracted in almost half of the cases, but now a dentist can depulp and save your tooth. He will completely remove the nerve and carefully restore the anatomical shape of the tooth. The treated and restored tooth will last you for a long time to come.

Consequences: What happens if I don't treat pulpitis?

Lack of timely nerve removal or poor quality canal cleaning leads to complications. The infection does not meet obstacles on its way, reaches the top of the root and spreads further, affecting the bone tissue. Lack of attention to the sick tooth can lead to the development of periodontitis.

Periodontitis is an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the root of the tooth. The infection reaches the top of the root and is transferred to the surrounding tissue. In its severe form, periodontitis leads to tooth loss and the development of serious complications from the maxillofacial region. This consequence of pulpitis can be easily recognized by the following symptoms:

• sharp pain, it is impossible to even touch the tooth
• redness and swelling of the gum near the tooth
• rising body temperature

Do not tolerate toothache and timely contact a dentist, because the consequences of pulpitis worsen the condition of the body as a whole. In the clinic "MediLine" in the treatment of inflammation of the pulp of the tooth necessarily uses a microscope. Thanks to this, our doctors do not make mistakes and save your tooth. You can also come to us for re-treatment of canals, if the tooth bothers you after previous treatment.

Is pain possible in a tooth that has been pulped?

How can a tooth that no longer has a nerve hurt? However, pain in a tooth that has been pulped is quite common. Here are a few reasons why a "dead tooth" may hurt:

• the body's reaction to interference*
• development of periodontitis after previous treatment
• an "echo" of pain in a neighboring tooth.

*If your tooth hurts for a few days after a nerve extraction, make sure you see a dentist.

Have you heard about a depulped tooth turning darker over time, and now you're worried about your smile becoming less attractive? You have nothing to worry about. The dentists at MediLine Clinic will perform quality treatment, and the color of the tooth will not change even years after the procedure.

Lifespan of "dead" teeth

It is believed that a depulped tooth will not last long. But this is not the case. If the pulp extraction surgery was done correctly and the canals are carefully filled, the tooth will serve you for many more years.

If during the treatment of the canals the crown part is destroyed by more than 50%, it is better to put an inlay or crown on the depulped tooth. This will help to maintain aesthetic appeal and strengthen the tooth.

Depulping for dentures

When preparing for a prosthetic restoration, the tooth must be prepared. The hard tissue layer is removed so that the crown can be precisely sized. It happens that due to the special structure of the tooth, the pulp chamber occupies a little more space than usual. In such a situation, as well as in case of a strong inclination of the teeth, the doctor will advise you to remove the nerve, because the pulp can be damaged during preparation, and such a tooth will sooner or later begin to hurt under the crown.

The decision to depulp the tooth is made only after a thorough examination and diagnosis, when your dentist is sure that this procedure is necessary. The choice of material for crowns also has an impact on this, as it determines the thickness of the structure and, therefore, the depth of the tooth grinding.

Prevention of pulpitis and other diseases

In order to keep your teeth in good order and not to have to depulp the tooth, you need to carefully monitor the condition of your smile. It is not difficult at all, for the prevention of tooth decay, pulpitis, periodontitis and other oral diseases it is enough to do the following:

• regularly visit the dentist for examination and timely treatment
• undergo professional oral hygiene twice a year
• brush your teeth daily and use additional means of hygiene (irrigator, floss, mouthwash).

The health of your teeth is directly related to the quality of your dental hygiene. You probably already know that even with thorough brushing, plaque remains in hard-to-reach places. That's why we recommend that you undergo professional oral hygiene.