Dental pulpitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the teeth and, more specifically, the dental pulp. The latter is characterized by soft tissue that includes arterioles, nerve, venules, and cells involved in the production of dentin, i.e., the hard tissue of the teeth.
Bacterial infection affecting the dental pulp giving rise to pulpitis can be caused by the development of a cavity or by trauma and dental fractures that expose the pulp to bacterial aggression such as, for example, bruxism and malocclusions.
Symptoms related to dental pulpitis
During its early stages, dental pulpitis progresses silently and without causing great and obvious discomfort. For this reason, it is always essential to have periodic checkups at your trusted dentist who will be able to recognize it and stop its course before it becomes completely compromised.
In any case, the most common symptoms of ongoing dental pulpitis are the presence of intense pain that cannot be precisely localized and the ongoing sensation that the tooth is throbbing. In addition, the sensation of discomfort and pain increases during chewing, with the intake of sugary foods or foods that cause sudden changes in temperature.
What is meant by reversible and irreversible dental pulpitis?
The severity of the situation depends on the level of inflammation and the depth of the lesion, which can lead to a reversible or irreversible type of pulpitis. In the former case, the inflammation is still at an early stage, the lesion is superficial, there is little swelling and little damage to the internal tissues.
In this case, timely intervention by one's dentist and proper treatment will lead to complete healing in a short time. In the case, on the other hand, of irreversible dental pulpitis, the inflammation has become so significant that there is a risk of necrotization of the pulp, the pain becomes virtually incessant, and it also spreads to the ear, face and neck.
How to treat dental pulpitis
In the presence of reversible dental pulpitis, the dentist will proceed by eliminating the cause of the infection that produced it, which, in most cases, turns out to be a simple neglected caries. In this case, the approach is conservative and, at most, a desensitization of the roots of the decayed tooth is performed.
Instead, in the presence of an irreversible form, it is necessary to remove the inflamed pulp using a specific therapy that cleans, disinfects, and seals the canal, after which the dentist will consider whether to proceed with tooth extraction.
How to prevent the occurrence of dental pulpitis
To prevent pulpitis from occurring to affect the health of your teeth, it is essential, first of all, to put great care into your daily oral hygiene by taking care to brush your teeth after every meal and remove any bacterial plaque deposits that may be present.
But another extremely important point is the implementation of all useful behaviors to prevent tooth decay and the observance of periodic checkups - annual or, better, semi-annual - that safeguard against irreversible progressions of this pathology.
