The strength of the tooth is more often than not driven by the vitality and health of the pulp. The interwoven structure of nerves, tissues, and blood vessels, is spread from the surface of the tooth to its root. The branch of dentistry that deals in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders associated with the pulp is called endodontic.
The onus of supplying blood to the surrounding dentin lies on the pulp through specific cells called odontoblasts. It is also packed with pain stimuli and this is the reason we feel pain when some harm or damage touches the pulp.
Factors Leading to Pulp Disease/Infection
There are many causes that can result in pulp damage and after that various infection and diseases. The most common cause is the prolonged decay left undiagnosed and treated. Another one is advanced periodontal disease and injuries caused to the pulp are also instrumental in infecting the pulp. Some of the popular factors resulting to pulp damage include:
Hypersensitivity
Albeit tooth sensitivity is considered the most prominent symptom of pulp infection but it necessarily does not say the pulp is damaged or infected. It is the signal that the dentin is exposed and open to welcome several type of stimuli – hot, cold, sour etc. to hit the nerve of the tooth in the pulp. This is the major cause of pulp infection or disease, when the dentin is exposed and become vulnerable inviting bacteria to reach the pulp through it.
There are several medically approved toothpastes designed to relief from sensitive teeth, which can solace your teeth for some time. Alternatively, your dentist can also cover your crown with a fluoride coating (sealant) for better results. The Endodontic treatment, root canal therapy is the ultimate resort in some extreme cases.
Pulpitis
Again dental caries are the cause to pulpitis that infiltrate through the enamel and dentin reaching the deep pulp. It may be due to trauma like thermal insult the resultant of frequent dental procedures.
Inflammation of pulpitis is due to bacterial infection. In this case the pulp section is not sealed off the environment of the oral cavity. Under these circumstances the pulp gets inflamed putting pressure in the pulp cavity and nerve of the tooth and the nearby tissues. Pulpitis may put so much pressure on nerves of the tooth that it often becomes difficult to locate the source of the pain.
Periodontal Disease
Diseases associated with gum pulls the gum off the teeth forming deep pockets of space between the gum and the teeth. In case food particles stuck in these spaces it becomes a breeding ground for them leading to abscess development in the gums. This may lead to pulp infection.
Endodontic Therapy – Remedy to Pulp Infection
Under all the above stated dental conditions when bacteria penetrate into the pulp causing pulp disease the ultimate medical remedy is root canal treatment. In this process, the endodontist reaches the pulp chamber through drilling and removes the infected pulp and the nerve also from the root canals using long needle-shaped drills. Once this process is done, the dentist fills all the root canals along with the chamber with some inert substance and packs the opening. The entire process is called root canal therapy which is the ultimate medical remedy to pulp infection.
Most of the causes of tooth pulp disease and infection are caused due to bacteria that reaches the pulp chamber after evading and breaking through the enamel and dentin of your tooth. It is always advisable to immediately consult your endodontist whenever you find any tooth decay or cavity as if left untreated it may lead to pulp infection over time and create greater damage to your tooth and overall health.
