Pulpitis (ICD-10 K04.0: Pulpitis) – colloquially known as dental neuritis – refers to inflammation of the dental pulp (dental pulp), which is usually a reaction to severe irritation.
Pulp (colloquially dental nerve) is the soft tissue core of a tooth, which consists of well vascularized (“supplied with vessels“) and innervated (“supplied with nerves“) connective tissue.
The irritation can be microbial (e.g. untreated caries), chemical-toxic (e.g. dental materials) or physical (e.g. grinding (bruxism) at night).
Caries is the most common cause of irreversible pulpitis.
Course and prognosis: Pulpitis progresses in different stages, which are reversible (reversible) and curable up to a certain point. If pulpitis has reached an irreversible stage, root canal treatment must be performed as therapy. In cases where the bone has already been affected too much by the infection or the reconstruction of a tooth that has been destroyed too much is no longer possible, the affected tooth must be removed.
Therefore, nowadays the top premises are prophylaxis and prevention (prophylaxis).
