If you have a cavity, then you should have the tooth decay removed and replaced with a filling. Fillings are common procedures. After all, about 92% of all adults have or have had a cavity in one of their teeth. If the tooth did not hurt when the cavity was initially noticed, then you may be surprised to find that your tooth aches after the treatment is completed. This can happen sometimes, and the condition is called pulpitis. Keep reading to understand this condition and find out what your dentist can do about it.
What Is Pulpitis?
Pulpitis is a dental condition that occurs when the living pulp tissue inside your tooth becomes inflamed and swollen. The tissues will swell when they are irritated in some way, and this may happen if a large or deep cavity must be removed from one of the teeth. As your dentist works his drill deep into the enamel, dentin, and cementum, the bit will come close to the tissues in the pulp chamber. Vibrations can cause irritation and swelling. This swelling will place pressure on the dental nerve, and the nerve will release pain signals. Since the pulp tissue is in distress, you may feel a constant aching pain. The dental nerve may also send strong pain signals at random times throughout the day. This is the reason why you may feel spontaneous pain coming from the tooth.
Pulpitits pain will typically go away on its own. This means that the condition will often resolve itself without any intervention from your dentist. The swelling will go down fairly quickly, like inflammation in any other part of your body. You should not feel any pain sensations afterwards. You can take an NSAID pain reliever to reduce your discomfort for the several days while you feel pain.
What Is A Lingering Pulpitis Condition?
There is a chance that you will feel pain for some time after your filling is placed. This is a sign that you have a more serious pulpitis condition. This occurs if the dentist needs to remove a cavity that has gone through the dentin and cementum. As the cavity is removed, the drill may scrape the dental pulp and damage it. This can cause a great deal of distress, especially if blood vessels are damaged within the pulp chamber.
Also, you may notice pain if the cavity was so deep that bacteria have moved into the tooth cavity and have started to eat away at the dental pulp. This means that an infection may have started, or one will likely develop relatively soon.
How Is Serious Pulpitis Treated?
Serious lingering pulpitis conditions are typically quite painful, and the pain will increase rather than decrease over time. If pain seems to worsen after a filling is placed, then you should make arrangements to see your dentist. Keep an eye on pain that worsens when you lie down. This causes blood volume to increase across the entire head, and this will place more pressure on a tooth that is already in poor health.
When you see your dentist, they will likely x-ray the tooth. This will help to show them if an infection has started or if a large portion of the dental pulp is damaged. A root canal will likely be scheduled. The treatment will involve the removal of all the living tissues from inside the tooth. This will stop your pain completely and keep it from coming back. Antibiotics may be needed after the root canal is completed to make sure that all of the bacteria that have gotten into the tooth are killed off.
For further information on dental fillings, talk to a dentist at a clinic such as Plymouth Valley Dental Group.
