What is Dental Pulp Disease?

Dental pulp disease, also referred to as Pulpitis, is the inflammation of the dental pulp tissue.

The pulp is the center of the tooth where the blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues that support the teeth are located, and where all the nutrients and blood to keep the tooth alive come from. Tooth decay from bacteria can cause Pulpitis to develop.

Symptoms of Dental Pulp Disease

Some of the symptoms of dental pulp disease can be, pain when eating or drinking hot or cold drinks, sudden pain that is throbbing, tenderness when touching the tooth or biting, jaw aches, pain which extends to the ear, temples, or head.

Types of Dental Pulp Disease

Dental pulp disease can be caused by poor oral health habits and not visiting the dentist regularly. There are different types of Pulpitis.

• Dental Pulp Stones, where the hardening or calcification of the pulp tissues causes extreme pain.
• Dental Pulp Exposure, where a cavity or crack in the tooth damages the external covering and exposes the pulp to bacteria.
• Reversible Pulpitis is a mild inflammation of the pulp, which can turn into a dental abscess. With good oral care habits this can be reversed.
• Irreversible Pulpitis is a severe inflammation that can't be cured and needs to be treated with a root canal or the removal of the tooth.

If you have tooth pain our dentist will order an X-ray of the affected area to see what is going on. If you're diagnosed with dental pulp disease, there are several treatment options depending on the severity of the condition.

Treatment can include a removing the decay, fixing or restoring the damage in the tooth or in some instances a root canal. In the case of a reversible Pulpitis, a filling may be needed.