Many of us can recognise when something’s not right with our dental health because of the tell-tale signs of discomfort, discolouration, and swelling. Pulpitis is one of the most common dental ailments and presents a threat to long-term oral health and comfort.
But what is pulpitis, and what are the causes, symptoms, and treatments of this dental condition?
About Pulpitis
Pulpitis is essentially the inflammation of a tooth’s dental pulp, also known as pulpal inflammation.
Dental pulp is made up of odontoblasts–living cells, nerves, and connective tissue within the tooth. Your dental pulp helps to supply blood, nutrients, and nerve feeling to each tooth. When harmful bacteria invade the dental pulp, it can become infected and inflamed.
There are two primary types of pulpitis. The first and more mild type is reversible pulpitis, where the infected tooth pulp is still healthy enough to heal with dental aid. The second type, irreversible pulpitis, eats away at the root of a tooth and requires immediate dental intervention to prevent the spread of a dangerous infection.
Pulpitis Symptoms: The Warning Signs
Some of the early warning signs of pulpitis include sensitivity to sweet, hot, or cold food and pulpal inflammation, characterised by pain and swelling in the jaw and tooth area.
If you experience these symptoms, contact your dentist to book an examination; catching the condition early can prevent your pulpal inflammation from progressing into full-blown, irreversible pulpitis.
The symptoms of irreversible pulpitis include bad breath, swollen lymph nodes, fever, and a foul taste in the mouth. These symptoms are signs that pulpal inflammation has intensified due to a growing infection.
Irreversible pulpitis requires immediate dental care to protect your oral health and prevent the infection from spreading to your jaw, brain, and sinuses.
What Causes Pulpitis?
Pulpitis is caused by a bacterial invasion that causes pulpal inflammation. But how do bacteria enter dental pulp?
In a normal, healthy tooth, the hard enamel exterior and the bony tissue, or dentin, second layer protects the inner pulp from infection. Tooth decay, repetitive teeth grinding, dental caries, impact to the tooth through injury, or jaw misalignment can damage your enamel and let bacteria into the tooth.
Risk Factors for Pulpitis
Other factors can contribute to your overall risk for developing pulpitis. Diseases that impair your immune system, such as diabetes or autoimmune deficiencies, can put you at an increased risk for pulpitis. Contact sports also increase your risk for tooth trauma, which can create an entry point for bacteria to enter your dental pulp.
Diet can also play a role in your dental health, as high quantities of sugar and refined carbohydrates encourage plaque build-up and bacterial growth. This can erode your enamel, damage dentin, and leave your teeth more vulnerable to pulpal inflammation.
An inadequate oral health regimen can also lead to tooth decay and pulpal inflammation. Without thoroughly brushing at least twice per day and flossing before bed, plaque and bacteria can cause damage and decay.
Diagnosing Pulpitis
Dentists can diagnose pulpitis with a dental examination and a sensitivity test. They may use one or more X-rays to determine the extent of pulpal inflammation.
In certain cases, your dentist may use an electric pulp tester, which delivers a small electric pulse to the tooth. If the patient senses this charge, your dental pulp is still alive, which often means the pulpal inflammation is reversible.
Your dentist may also use a tooth tapping test, where they use light taps with a blunt object to determine the degree of sensitivity and inflammation present.
Following diagnosis, you will have several treatment options, depending on the severity of your pulpitis.
Treating Pulpitis: Reversible Pulpitis
Reversible pulpitis usually heals after your dentist addresses the cause. For instance, if you chipped a tooth playing rugby, your dentist will fix the chipped tooth and prescribe a mouthguard. If you suffered from a tooth decay which caused pulpal inflammation, your dentist will fill the cavity.
Depending on the infection, your dentist may also prescribe antibiotics or anti-inflammatories to promote and expedite the healing process.
Treating Pulpitis: Irreversible Pulpitis
Treating irreversible pulpitis is often more complex, depending on the degree of pulpal inflammation and decay.
If the exterior of the tooth can be saved, your dentist may perform a pulpectomy, which is the first phase of a root canal. During this procedure, the infected pulp is extracted, the interior of the tooth is cleaned, and the tooth is sealed with filling.
However, there are some cases where even the exterior of the tooth cannot be saved. In this instance, the whole tooth must be removed in a tooth extraction procedure. Many patients choose to replace their extracted tooth with a dental implant; with proper care, a dental implant lasts indefinitely and mimics the function and appearance of a natural tooth.
If you experience any of your original symptoms, pressure, severe discomfort, or swelling following a pulpectomy, contact your dentist to ensure you haven’t sustained another dental infection.
Preventing Pulpitis
To decrease your chances of developing pulpitis, limit sugar and refined carbohydrate intake. Schedule regular dental check-ups and maintain a good oral health regimen of brushing with fluoride toothpaste, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash.
If you grind your teeth while sleeping or play contact sports, protect your teeth with a mouthguard to reduce your risk of pulpitis.
Contact No Gaps Dental
At No Gaps Dental, we strive to bring excellent oral health to all our patients. We aim to provide you and your family with compassionate, comprehensive dental care at an affordable cost.
Pulpitis can present a severe threat to oral health. If you’re concerned you have pulpitis, call No Gaps Dental on (02) 8007 6727. Our skilled and compassionate team can arrange for a consultation.