Does pulpitis make it painful to tap the tooth?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on August 31, 2024
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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.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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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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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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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.

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Dentistry
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Can pulpitis be detected with an X-ray?

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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Remedies for Tooth Pulpitis Pain at Night

Pulpitis pain is a type of acute pain that occurs after the dental nerve is infected by bacteria. The pulp tissue is a soft tissue, surrounded by the hard dentin and bone. Therefore, once the pulp tissue is infected, the pressure inside the pulp cavity increases rapidly, and if this pressure is not relieved, it can lead to sharp, severe pain, especially at night, often waking one from sleep. Pulpitis pain at night first requires prompt medical attention, followed by pulp opening and drainage. After the inflammation subsides, it can effectively relieve the pain. If medical attention is not available in time, oral analgesics can be taken for pain relief.

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Can pulpitis be cured?

Pulpitis is a condition that arises from the further progression of dental caries, which is a defect in the hard tissues of a tooth caused by bacterial infection. If the caries is not treated in time to stop its further progression, bacteria will further infect and cause inflammation of the dental nerve, also known as the pulp tissue. The innermost part of a tooth contains the dental nerve, surrounded by hard dental bone and dentin. Therefore, once the dental nerve becomes inflamed, the pain can be very severe. However, pulpitis can improve after root canal treatment, meaning it is curable, but it requires root canal treatment of the tooth. If not treated promptly, it will not heal on its own. If pulpitis is not treated in time, it can further progress to form periapical abscess, and in severe cases, it can cause facial swelling.