Pulpitis, how to treat it

The pulpitis is an inflammatory process of the dental pulp, which is the innermost part of the tooth, rich in nerve endings, arteries, venules and odontoblasts. Pulpitis leads to toothache, which usually occurs as a result of dental caries or other causes such as:

• trauma to the teeth (periodontitis or pyorrhea, invasive dental procedures, bruxism, dental malocclusions)
• improper chewing
• poor oral hygiene.

You can tell that there is pulpitis precisely because there is pain of varying intensity, which can increase with time, which is accentuated by heat or cold or when eating sweet or sugary foods and when chewing.

The treatment of pulpitis is simple, but when it is not inflammation, it can become complicated, going into a degenerative-necrotic process of the tooth that will then have to be devitalized or extracted, or the pulp will have to be partially removed. We obviously recommend a visit to the dentist for a thorough checkup.

In any case, treatment will be required, which usually involves:

• analgesic drugs that relieve pain
• Removal of the cause of pulpitis (with doctor’s consultation).

So certainly pain can be managed with the administration of painkillers to provide pain relief: in particular paracetamol and NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol (Tachipirin), naproxen (Synflex), are sufficient when the pain is mild or moderate, while one will have to switch to codeine and other opioids for stronger pain.

In addition to this treatment, of course the dentist will proceed to remove the cause of pulpitis (e.g., if it is caused by caries, removing this).

If, on the other hand, there is more severe inflammation or pulpal necrosis, the dentist will proceed to partially or totally remove the pulp of the tooth (devitalization or eventual removal of the tooth); in this circumstance, when there is no longer a stimulus (consumption of sweet or cold foods, for example), headache may remain as a symptom.