The word pulpitis comes from pulp meaning the soft dental core and -itis meaning inflammation. It means inflammation of the dental pulp, like tooth appendicitis! The inflammation causes swelling. Everything inside a tooth is called the dental pulp.Unfortunately, when the dental pulp swells, because it's walled off inside the tooth, there's no where to go. The inflammation leads to a vicious cycle of swelling which leads to pain which leads to irritation with more inflammation and so on.Things get worse fast.

          The pain from reversible pulpitis occurs when you bite or eat something hot or cold. The discomfort goes right away and does not last long. It's usually associated with a cracked filling or occassionally occurs after a dental filling was placed. Sometimes the condition begins without any logical explanation.This pain comes and goes quickly and does not linger.

          Irreversible pulpitis means that the tooth is going to die. There's usually dental pain that lasts more than a minute and doesn't go away with over-the-counter analgesics. It can keep you up all night and almost always leads to a dead tooth. The appropriate treatment is either a root canal or dental extraction. Antibiotics and pain medications can be prescribed, but they are only a temporary solution. In some cases, the problem can get significantly worse when a patient does not return after the pain goes away. The next time the tooth hurts, it's almost always much worse.

          There are several tests than can be done to determine if the pulpitis is killing the tooth or if the tooth just needs a sedative filling. The tests are easy to do and not very painful. In either case, you'll be happy to know that the problem can be treated in our dental office.The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. You are welcome to join our family of patients. If you would like to schedule an appointment with Atlanta General Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky call 404-874-7428.