Late stage symptoms of pulpitis

Written by Tian Hua
Otolaryngology
Updated on May 08, 2025
00:00
00:00

Pulpitis, due to long-term lack of thorough treatment and chronic inflammation, can lead to partial or complete necrosis of the dental pulp. Acute pulpitis, when stimulated by cold or heat, causes severe tooth pain. If the dental pulp becomes purulent or partially necrotic, which is in the late stage of pulpitis, then surgical treatment is required. The best method in this situation is surgical treatment, including dental pulp therapy. Through effective dental pulp treatment, the inflammation and necrotic tissue inside the root canal of the tooth is completely removed, and finally, the canal is permanently filled. This allows the patient’s tooth to no longer feel pain and continue to function for chewing.

Other Voices

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

Late-stage consequences of pulpitis

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
1min 3sec home-news-image

Can a tooth with pulpitis be extracted?

Pulpitis should not be treated with tooth extraction. Pulpitis is a type of acute pain caused by bacterial infection of the tooth nerve. During an episode of pulpitis, the pain can be very severe, including dull pain, throbbing pain, and sharp pain. Sometimes cold, hot, sour, or sweet substances can stimulate the tooth nerve, leading to increased nerve pain. Sometimes pulpitis can also radiate to the temporal region, causing headaches or ear pain, and it can sometimes cause pain in both upper and lower teeth and all the teeth. Pulpitis occurs when the dental nerve has become pus-filled due to inflammation. If teeth are extracted rashly, it may lead to the spread of inflammation, causing bacteremia or sepsis. Tooth extraction is not advisable for pulpitis, but root canal treatment can be performed on the affected tooth to try to preserve it after the treatment.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
59sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
49sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
1min 4sec home-news-image

Is pulpitis the same as tooth decay?

Pulpitis is actually a pain response that occurs when tooth decay further develops inflammation reaching the dental pulp tissue. Strictly speaking, pulpitis is an inflammatory pain response of the dental pulp that occurs when tooth decay further develops bacterial infection of the dental pulp tissue. Pulpitis requires early dental treatment. For tooth decay, it is sometimes sufficient to remove the decayed infected dental tissue and directly fill it. In cases of pulpitis, where the dental nerve is already exposed, anti-inflammatory treatment is necessary. First, the infected dental pulp tissue is removed with a drill, and since the dental nerve is exposed, nerve-killing is required. After controlling the inflammation, the root canal is disinfected, medication is placed in the root canal, and then the root canal is filled, which means that a complete root canal treatment is needed.