Tooth pulpitis
Treating with a microscope
Duration — 2 visits of 2 hours each Pulpitis — is a disease of the soft tissues of the tooth — the pulp, in which under certain conditions vascular disorders, inflammation, regressive and progressive processes can occur. The nerves and vessels of the tooth are located in the pulp, so pulpitis is usually very painful. Usually, pulp inflammation is a consequence of neglected caries or periodontal trauma.
Classification of pulpitis
Acute pulpitis is most often a complication of deep caries and is characterized by acute pain. It occurs in two forms:
- Focal pulpitis — is the initial stage of pulpitis, in which the pulp area close to the carious cavity is affected. This phase of pulpitis usually lasts 2 days and is characterized by periodic «shooting» pain in one tooth at external impact on it.
- Diffuse pulpitis — is the second stage of acute pulpitis, in which the inflammation affects the root and crown parts of the pulp. Pain appears on its own, goes to the temples, cheekbones, neck and lasts for several hours.
Chronic pulpitis develops gradually over a long period of 2 weeks to several months, making it difficult to diagnose. Toothache is not as severe as in acute pulpitis, but with periodic exacerbations. Chronic pulpitis takes 3 forms:
- Fibrous pulpitis is mostly hidden. Pain sensations are either absent or weak and occur when pressure is applied to the affected tooth.
- Hypertrophic. A polyp forms in the pulp, which hurts and bleeds when pressed.
- Gangrenous is accompanied by bleeding and bad breath. The pulp bleeds, painful sensations appear at external exposure and temperature changes.
Exacerbation of chronic pulpitis is characterized by signs of acute and chronic form: acute pain occurs suddenly and lasts for a long time. When pressure is applied, the tooth hurts and may bleed. Most of the tooth tissue is destroyed.
Symptoms of pulpitis
The leading symptom of pulpitis is pain, which can be acute and unbearable in exacerbation or chronic, that is, manifested as a reaction of the teeth to temperature stimuli, painful sensations when chewing and brushing teeth, bad breath.
In pulpitis, pain may be irradiated, when the pain is not felt in a particular tooth, but radiates to other organs and tissues of the head and sometimes is not associated with the tooth at all, which is difficult to diagnose.
Diagnosis and treatment of pulpitis
An important consideration in diagnosing pulpitis is to identify conditions where it is possible to keep the tooth alive and perform a more gentle treatment — biological treatment. When using this method, the doctor opens the pulp, treats it with an antiseptic and applies a bandage with calcium hydroxide. After that, a temporary plaque is placed, which is changed to a permanent one after the treatment is completed. Such treatment is possible only if the doctor is highly qualified and the clinic is properly equipped.
In teeth with other forms of pulpitis is performed endodontic treatment. Pulpitis is treated by a general dentist. Specialized endodontic treatment is performed by an endodontist.
In the treatment of pulpitis the following tasks are solved: elimination of pain, elimination of the focus of inflammation in the pulp, protection of periodontal tissues from infection, restoration of the form and function of the tooth.
The quality of the endodontic treatment and the choice of the method of tooth restoration, respectively the degree of its destruction and functional load depends on the long-term result of treatment.
Quality modern endodontic treatment requires:
- Diagnostics with CBCT (3-dimensional computed tomography, cone-beam computed tomography), which allows you to determine in advance the number and location of canals in the tooth, individual anatomical features and other invisible details.
- microscope – which increases the degree of detail in the work with dental canals and allows you to work sparingly in relation to intact tooth tissues, to achieve high quality cleaning and filling of canals, high-quality tooth restoration
- high qualification and individual experience of the doctor, availability of appropriate equipment, facilities and materials in the dental clinic
Pulpitis treatment usually requires 2 to 3 doctor visits spaced one day to two weeks apart.
Complications of pulpitis
Complications of untimely or poor quality treatment of pulpitis can be periodontitis, the development of periapical chronic foci of infection, tooth destruction and tooth loss.
During endodontic treatment, complications may arise due to complex anatomical structure of the tooth canal system or pathological changes in them. Some complications such as root perforations and impossibility to pass the entire canal system, instrument breakage in the canal can lead to the need for complete tooth extraction. General complications include possible allergic reactions to anesthetics or the materials used.
Modern methods and materials used in endodontic treatment allow to quickly eliminate or significantly reduce pain, then achieving its complete elimination in the process of treatment. After completion of endodontic treatment, the patient should not experience pain sensations, except for individual reactions, which are discussed by the doctor in each case.
Recommendations after pulpitis treatment
The main recommendation after endodontic treatment — is adequate restoration of the tooth: it should be covered with a crown. After completion of treatment and prosthetics, careful individual oral hygiene, regular professional hygiene and follow-up with the attending physician to evaluate the long-term results of treatment are necessary.
Leave your contact details and we will find a convenient time for you to visit us
Cost of pulpitis treatment
The best specialists to treat you
