How to treat pulpitis?

Many people often ask the question: "How to treat pulpitis?" We present the main methods of treating this common dental disease.

How to treat pulpitis using biological method?

The conservative method allows preserving the function of the connective tissue that fills the dental cavity. The conservative method is most often used for acute, chronic fibrous, traumatic and serous-diffuse pulpitis, if there are no disturbances in the structure of the root canal. The damaged area is treated with medications (antiseptics, antibacterial agents, proteolytic enzymes). After eliminating the inflammatory process, a special lining and a permanent filling are installed on the pulp. The conservative method of treatment is also called biological, since it is indicated exclusively at a young age, for people with a strong immune system and good tissue healing rates. If pulpitis of carious etiology is treated biologically, this leads to canal overgrowth in adults and the formation of a hard and dense deposit associated with pulp irritation, which can further cause difficulties in the treatment of root canals. Advanced and complicated forms of pulpitis do not respond to conservative treatment. Contraindication to conservative treatment is caries of the tooth neck. If the conservative method is ineffective, surgical treatment is indicated.

How to treat pulpitis with devital extirpation?

The affected pulp is removed from the dental cavity after treatment with arsenic or paraformaldehyde paste. The preparation is left for twenty-four or forty-eight hours, sometimes for 3-5 days, depending on how many roots the tooth has. The devital method is used mainly for purulent diffuse pulpitis. Contraindications to the use of the devital extirpation method are obstruction of the canals, unformed roots of permanent teeth or resorption of the roots of baby teeth.

Devital extirpation is performed according to the following scheme:

Stage 1 (first visit to the dentist).

• Pain relief by injection or application.
• Boron treatment.
• Opening of the tooth cavity.
• Drying the cavity with gauze swabs.
• Treatment of the opened cavity with arsenic, then with camphorphenol.
• Closing the carious cavity with aqueous dentin.

Stage 2 (repeat visit to the dentist).

• Removal of dentin.
• Checking tooth sensitivity by probing. If pain is felt, anesthesia is administered inside the pulp.
• Treatment of carious cavity with a bur.
• Opening of the tooth cavity.
• Amputation and extirpation of pulp from root canals.

After all procedures have been completed, the root canal is widened, treated with medication and dried with alcohol, after which an insulating pad is applied and the canal is sealed.

How to treat pulpitis with vital amputation?

Vital amputation is a type of biological treatment method and allows preserving the viable functions of the root pulp. If the tooth goes under the crown, vital amputation is not performed. Before the procedure, the oral cavity is treated with antiseptics and an anesthetic injection is administered. Then the carious cavity is opened and widened, after which necrotomy is performed. After opening the tooth cavity, only its coronal part is removed. The remaining pulp is treated with a paste with calcium hydroxide and a temporary filling is installed. The arch above the pulp is excised with a bur, and the pulp is removed with an excavator.

Vital extirpation

If pulpitis is treated using vital extirpation, the pulp is completely eliminated. Unlike the devital extirpation method, the pulp is not killed before removal. To strengthen the enamel and increase its resistance to caries, the surface of the teeth is treated with fluoride preparations, which also helps reduce hypersensitivity. This method is indicated for various forms of pulpitis. An indication for vital extirpation is also the ineffectiveness of biological treatment methods, if the patient has no contraindications to the procedure, including infectious diseases, the last weeks of pregnancy, ulcerative necrotic stomatitis, etc. Before the procedure, anesthesia is administered, after which the infected mineralized tooth tissue and enamel are removed. Then the coronal and root pulp are removed directly, the canal is temporarily filled and, if the healing process is normal, a permanent filling is installed during a follow-up visit.

How to treat pulpitis using folk methods?

One of the folk remedies is propolis, which is applied to the affected tooth for twenty minutes and covered with a cotton swab. This procedure helps to alleviate the course of the disease and reduce pain. Rinsing the mouth with a warm aqueous solution of propolis tincture also has a softening and analgesic effect. Toothache with pulpitis can also be relieved by rinsing with herbal decoctions of sage, mint, raspberry, chicory. Another folk remedy used in the treatment of pulpitis is horseradish, which is grated on a fine grater and mixed with vodka. A cotton swab is moistened with the resulting mixture and applied to the gum in the area of the diseased tooth. It should be noted that folk remedies for the treatment of pulpitis can only be used as an adjuvant therapy to reduce the symptoms of the disease.

To reliably understand how to treat pulpitis, if any pain occurs in the area of teeth and gums, consult a dentist. Treatment should be started only after an accurate diagnosis has been established, so as not to aggravate the course of the disease.