Late-stage consequences of pulpitis

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on April 09, 2025
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Pulpitis is a severe pain manifestation caused by bacterial infection of the dental pulp tissue. If pulpitis is not treated in a timely manner, and it develops to a late stage, it might intensify the pain. In the early stages, the pain may only occur when eating or due to temperature sensitivity. In the later stages of pulpitis, spontaneous pain may occur, meaning that the teeth may hurt without any external stimuli, or symptoms of nighttime pain might appear, often causing pain at night or pain that can awaken someone from sleep. In its late stages, pulpitis can also develop into pus formation in the pulp tissue, also known as suppurative pulpitis, characterized by pain relief with cold and exacerbation with heat, meaning that cold water can relieve the pain, while hot water can worsen it.

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Otolaryngology
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Can pulpitis be cured by taking medicine?

During an acute episode of pulpitis, patients experience very severe spontaneous pain, paroxysmal sharp pain, and pain from hot and cold stimuli, which sometimes radiates to the head and intensifies at night. Medication for pulpitis is ineffective, as anti-inflammatory drugs only address the symptoms and not the root cause. In such cases, it is essential to visit a hospital, where a dentist can perform a pulpectomy, conduct root canal treatment, thoroughly treat the inflamed pulp, remove the infected dentin, apply medication inside the root canal, and then seal and fill the root canal tightly. Only through comprehensive root canal treatment can pulpitis be completely cured.

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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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Dentistry
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Will gingivitis cause gum pain?

Pulpitis is an inflammatory response of the dental pulp tissue caused by a bacterial infection. In the early stages of pulpitis, there is no pain in the gums, as the inflammation is limited to the roots of the teeth, affecting only the pulp within the root canals. This condition can be alleviated through dental treatment, and there are no symptoms in the gums. However, if pulpitis is not treated in a timely manner, the inflammation can progress to the root apex. If not properly drained on time, an abscess can form, meaning the inflammation would break through the gums and begin to discharge pus. This scenario can cause pain in the gums. Therefore, while early pulpitis does not cause gum pain, in the later stages, an abscess in the gums forms, and pain is experienced.

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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.

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Pulpitis alleviated by cold water

Relief from pulpitis with cold water is a typical clinical manifestation of acute suppurative pulpitis, characterized by pain with heat and relief with cold. It is common to see patients coming to the clinic holding cold water or holding cold water in their mouth to help alleviate the pain. For this type of acute suppurative pulpitis, the initial treatment should involve opening the pulp to relieve pressure. After the pressure is relieved, a devitalizing agent is used to devitalize the tissue, which is commonly referred to as "killing the nerve." Once the nerve is dead, the pulp tissue loses its sensory function, and the intensity of the pain will be alleviated.