Can a tooth with pulpitis be extracted?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on September 11, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pulpitis cannot be treated by tooth extraction. Initially, pulpitis involves an inflammatory response in the pulp tissue. Extracting the tooth at this stage can cause the inflammation to spread throughout the body and, in severe cases, can lead to sepsis. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to avoid tooth extraction during a pulpitis attack. However, dental treatment can be performed during a pulpitis flare-up. Firstly, the acute pain in pulpitis is caused by increased pressure within the pulp. The primary method involves performing a pulpotomy to relieve this pressure. Once the pressure is alleviated, root canal medication can be applied, followed by root canal filling to complete the root canal treatment and preserve the tooth.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
41sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
54sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
1min home-news-image

What is pulpitis?

Pulpitis is also an inflammatory reaction occurring in the pulp tissue, caused by the further infection of bacteria when tooth decay is not timely halted, and it represents the natural conclusion of tooth decay. The dental tissues are divided into enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp tissue, with the pulp tissue located on the innermost side, which is commonly referred to as the dental nerve. If the bacterial infection is not promptly halted in the early stages within the hard tissues of the tooth, that is, if the tooth is not filled in time, the bacteria then further infect the innermost pulp tissue, causing inflammation of the pulp tissue, which is clinically referred to as pulpitis. Pulpitis involves severe pain, necessitating prompt root canal treatment for the tooth.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
58sec home-news-image

Do I go to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for pulpitis?

Pulpitis requires a visit to the department of stomatology or the department of dental cariology and endodontics. Some hospitals, with more detailed department divisions, differentiate between adults and children. Generally, individuals under 18 years old fall under the pediatric dentistry department. Those 18 and older need to visit the department of dental cariology and endodontics. Pulpitis is a painful condition caused by bacterial infection of the dental nerve, clinically manifested by pain when eating, night-time pain, localized pain, and worsening pain upon exposure to hot and cold stimuli. Treatment for pulpitis involves root canal therapy. This involves drilling to remove the infected dental tissue, then performing root canal medicament filling, followed by inflammation control and root canal filling.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
43sec home-news-image

Will pulpitis cause swelling of the mouth?

If pulpitis is not treated and controlled, the infection can become severe, leading to swollen gums and causing severe pain. During this period, periapical periodontitis can develop. The emergency treatment for acute periapical periodontitis should involve opening the pulp chamber under local anesthesia for drainage, and using the root canal to drain in order to alleviate the pressure at the root apex and relieve pain. Generally, care must be taken to avoid the swollen areas during local anesthesia, as it may cause intense pain and spread of the infection. Hydrogen peroxide can be used for local irrigation.