Acute Pulpitis is an inflammation of dental pulp and the commonest cause of dental pain.
Acute Pulpitis Signs and Symptoms
Usually, a large carious lesion or a defective restoration with recurrent caries is present.
- Relatively severe pain is elicited by thermal changes, especially iced or cold drinks which persist after removal of stimulants.
- Pain may proceed to be more severe with the involvement of a greater portion of the pulp with intra pulpal abscess formation. Severe and lancinating pain may result; it may be continuous and increased by lying down; exacerbated by heat and react to electric pulp tester at a low level of current than normal.
- There is a pain on lying down because there is increase blood flow and also increase inflammatory exudation. This increases pressure in the enclosed pulp chamber.
Acute Pulpitis Treatment
Extensive pulpitis is irreversible.
- Acute open pulpitis may become quiescent and enter a chronic phase in high tissue resistance and low virulent organism.
- Early minimal pulpitis can be treated by pulpotomy with CA ( OH)2 lining for calcify bridge
- Root canal filling with inert materials is used for more severe cases.
Chronic Pulpitis
May arise from Acute Pulpitis or more usually from the chronic type of pulpitis from the onset.
Chronic Pulpitis Signs and Symptoms
- Pain is not a prominent feature though it may be dull, mild and often intermittent.
- Reaction to thermal changes is reduced compared to Acute Pulpitis.
Treatment of Chronic Pulpitis
As in acute phase but extraction may be necessary when RCT is not feasible.
Chronic Hyperplastic Pulpitis or Pulp Polyp
What is Pulp polyp?
The pulp polyp, also known as proliferative pulpitis, is an uncommon and specific type of inflammatory Hyperplasia that is associated with a non-vital tooth.
It is uncommon and occurs as either chronic lesion ar onset or chronic state of the previous acute phase.
Pulp polyp Signs and Symptoms
An excessive exuberant proliferation of pulp that occurs almost exclusively in children and young adults and involves tooth with a large open cavity.
Pulp appears as large pinkish red lobule of tissues protruding from the pulp chamber and filling the entire cavity.
Because it contains few nerve fibers, it is relatively insensitive to manipulation. It may or may not bleed readily depending on the degree of vascularity.
Teeth commonly involved are the deciduous molars or first permanent molars which have excellent blood supply because of large root opening and couple with high tissues resistance in a young person should which account for the unusual proliferation of the pulp.
Treatment Pulp polyp
May persist for many months or even several days. It is irreversible and is treated by Pulp Extirpation or Tooth Extraction.
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