When pain, thermal, and/or chemical stimulation is present, SP production and release increases. Current studies focus on whether controlling Substance P expression may control tooth pain.In addition, dental caries is more likely to develop pulpitis due to less time for the dental pulp to react and protect itself by occluding the dentinal tubules. Based on the tooth injury, sensory nerve fibers react to pulpitis by growing terminal branches into the adjacent surviving pulp, which also changes the cytochemical phenotype. This neural growth typically lasts few a few days and function and form is retained. Thus, pain is poorly localized, and the level of pain stemming from pulpitis varies based on severity, quality, duration, onset, trigger. As caries invades dentin, the number of permeable dentinal tubules correlates with the degree of pain. Intrapulp pressure have an effect on the sensory nerves of varying diameters: blocking larger diameter Aδ-fibres and activating smaller C-fibers. Under hypoxic environments and pulp degeneration (symptom of pulpitis), C-fibers may still function. Once reparative dentin forms, odontoblasts associated with the dentin change, and the pulpal fibroblasts lose p75 expression, which is a neurotrophin receptor. Diagnosis
Pulp sensibility tests are routinely used in the diagnosis of pulpitis. Pulp testing is combined with information taken from history, examination and other special investigations such as radiographs in order to reach a diagnosis. Pulp sensibility tests assess the pulp’s sensory response to a stimulus.
These indicate that the vital inflamed pulp is not capable of healing and it is often indicated for the pulp to be removed as it is too damaged. Sleep may be disturbed and over-the-counter painkillers are often taken in an attempt to provide relief, but are usually ineffective. Causes
Pulpitis may be caused by bacteria from dental caries that penetrate through the enamel and dentin to reach the pulp, or it may be mechanical, a result of trauma, such as physical damage to the tooth. Inflammation is commonly associated with a bacterial infection but can also be due to other insults such as repetitive trauma or in rare cases periodontitis. The inflammation of dental pulp is mainly caused by an opportunistic infection of the pulp by a commensal oral microorganism. To reach the pulp, the most common route of the microorganism is through dental caries as well as from trauma, dentinal cracks and exposed dentin. Exposed dentin gives the microorganisms access to the pulp of the tooth through the dentinal tubules. In the case of penetrating decay, the pulp chamber is no longer sealed off from the environment of the oral cavity.When the pulp becomes inflamed, pressure begins to build up in the pulp cavity, exerting pressure on the nerve of the tooth and the surrounding tissues. Pressure from inflammation can cause mild to extreme pain, depending upon the severity of the inflammation and the bodys response.