Can pulpitis be detected with an X-ray?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on August 31, 2024
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Pulpitis is divided into normal pulpitis and retrograde pulpitis. Normal pulpitis is a further development from bacterial infection of the hard tissues of the tooth to the pulp tissues, which means it can be captured on an X-ray. It mainly presents as a low-density image near the pulp. This stage of pulpitis is normal, developed through the normal pathway, and can be identified on an X-ray. If the pulpitis is due to the development of a periodontal pocket, bacteria infect the root apex area retrogradely through the periodontal pocket, causing pathological changes in the pulp tissue of the root apex area. Retrograde pulpitis cannot be detected on an X-ray.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Does pulpitis require tooth extraction?

Pulpitis does not require tooth extraction but necessitates root canal treatment. Pulpitis is a symptom caused by deep dental decay and bacterial infection reaching the dental nerves, manifesting as pain when eating or nocturnal pain. The inflammation in pulpitis is confined within the pulp and does not affect the root apex area. This infection can be resolved through comprehensive root canal treatment. The treatment begins with nerve devitalization; after the nerve is killed, infected dental tissues are removed using a drill, extracting the purulent dental nerve. Subsequently, medication is applied in the root canal. After inflammation is controlled, the root canal is filled. After treatment, the tooth affected by pulpitis can be preserved without extraction.

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What are the symptoms of pulpitis?

Pulpitis is a painful condition that occurs due to bacterial infection of the dental pulp tissue. Pulpitis has its own typical symptoms, including pain triggered by temperature changes. Eating foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet can cause severe pain in the dental nerves. Additionally, temperature stimuli intensify the pain; both cold and hot water can cause tooth pain. During the acute suppurative phase, there is pain with heat and relief with cold, meaning drinking hot water causes pain, whereas drinking cold water can alleviate it. Another typical characteristic of pulpitis includes nighttime pain; often there is less pain during the day, but at night or after falling asleep, the pain can awaken the individual from sleep.

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How many days can pulpitis be cured?

Pulpitis can only improve by undergoing dental treatment, with most cases clinically arising from the progression of dental caries. If dental caries are not promptly filled in the early stages to halt their progression, bacteria can further infect and cause nerve damage. After a nerve-killing treatment for pulpitis, pain generally subsides. The specific duration depends on the nerve-killing medication used; some act quickly, usually within 2 days or 48 hours, killing the dental nerve and thus alleviating the pain of pulpitis. Others may act slowly, requiring about 2 weeks, or approximately 14 days.

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Is the effect of infusion therapy good for pulpitis?

The effectiveness of intravenous therapy for pulpitis is not good. Firstly, pulpitis is an inflammatory pain caused by bacterial infection of the dental nerve. If the inflammation is confined within the root canal and does not spread to cause a systemic gap infection, then the effect of intravenous therapy is poor. Intravenous therapy is just an auxiliary treatment that circulates through the body to reach the tooth tissue, and its effect might not be very noticeable. The primary treatment for pulpitis should involve treating the tooth, removing the infected dental tissue. If the dental nerve is not fully exposed, soothing treatment can be performed, which is also a nerve-preserving treatment method for reversible pulpitis. If the decayed tissue is removed and the dental nerve is exposed, indicating that bacteria have infected the dental nerve, soothing treatment is not possible, and root canal treatment of the tooth is necessary. Only then can the symptoms of pulpitis be alleviated.

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Does pulpitis make it painful to tap the tooth?

Pulpitis does not necessarily cause pain when the tooth is tapped. When we talk about pain from tapping a tooth, it mainly refers to examining pain in the apical area. If tapping the tooth causes pain, it indicates that the inflammation has gathered at the root tip, manifesting as what is clinically described as tenderness upon percussion. Pulpitis may simply be a bacterial infection of the dental nerve, localized around the nerve or confined within the roots, where the nerve is infected but the apical nerve remains intact. In such cases, tapping the tooth would not cause pain. This means that in the early stages of pulpitis, there might not be tenderness upon percussion, but spontaneous pain from the dental nerve or pain triggered by temperature changes might still occur.