How can I tell if I have a pulpitis?

As the name implies, it is inflammation of the pulp. The pulp is made of three main types of tissue, Nerve, vascular and conective tissue. When there is inflammation present, often the vascular tissue dialates and patients can experience increased sensitivity of the tooth to cold and or hot. After drinking a cold beverage, this sensitivity can linger for 1-3 seconds or can even cause an ache that lasts for minutes. The longer the discomfort after drinking cold liquids , the worse the pulpitis. If the cold sensitivity after drinking cold lingers for more than ten seconds than you may have a pulpitis.

This condition can have various causes, including trauma from tooth preparation, a large cavity being present, tooth grinding, or a crack in the tooth. In any event, if you have a tooth that has an increased sensitivity to cold and or hot for more than two weeks, it is probably best to visit a dentist to identify the cause.

Sometimes after a prolonged pulpitis the tooth can 'quite down'. Sometimes it means that the pulp has diminished inflammation and other times it can even mean the the pulp has died. It should be noted that if a tooth only has sensitivity to hot and not cold, that can be an indicator that the pulp is necrotic and may require a root canal. If you have sensitivity to hot, you should visit a dentist.