Pulpitis

Pulpitis is inflammation of dental pulp, and it’s usually caused by bacterial infections.

The dental pulp is the soft inner section of the tooth, that houses the nerves and blood vessels that nourish the tooth.

If the pulp gets inflamed, these nerves get activated, really intensively.

Pulpitis usually starts with either an injury to the tooth, such as a fracture, or commonly from tooth decay which is when there’s erosion of the overlying enamel and dentin layers, opening up a direct route to the pulp.

Bacteria can then access the dental pulp, and generate an infection.

The most common bacteria include the mutans group streptococci, such as Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus.

The bacterial infection typically leads to an inflammatory response from the immune system.The inflammation causes tissue swelling.

But because the dental pulp is encased in a tough layer of dentin, there’s very little room for tissue to expand.

That means that the tissues get squeezed and there’s a lot of pressure on the nerves.

Clinically, pulpitis can be divided into two types - reversible and irreversible.

In reversible pulpitis, healthy pulp reacts to the presence of an irritant, for example, a deep carious lesion that isn’t actually within the dental pulp.

Now, irreversible pulpitis is more serious because the pulp is actually damaged. For example, there may be a bacterial infection within the dental pulp.

Usually, when there’s an active infection within such an enclosed space it is virtually impossible for the dental pulp to heal.