Introduction
Tooth root inflammation, also known as pulpitis, is an inflammation of the dental pulp, which is located inside the root of the tooth. If the tooth nerve is now irritated, it transmits its pain sensations to the brain. But the inflammation of the tooth root is not only accompanied by pain – the “thick cheek“, headaches and fever can also accompany it.
Mechanical or chemical stimuli, but above all bacteria, can lead to an inflammation of the tooth root. The bacteria either enter the tooth via extensive caries or they reach the nerve via enlarged gum pockets during periodontitis. They produce various toxins, so-called endotoxins, which damage the body’s own cells and cause the nerve inflammation.
Symptoms of root canal inflammation
Acute nerve inflammation is characterized by rapidly occurring, knocking and/or throbbing pain. In addition, biting causes severe pain. The pain can be alleviated by cold drinks or a cold breeze, as with strong inhalation.
If the stimulus is short-lived, in very rare cases pulpitis can also regress and heal spontaneously. In most cases, however, an inflammation of the tooth root leads to the nerve dying off and a chronic inflammation. Very important is the fact that an inflammation of the tooth root can also be completely painless.
This means that even a tooth that causes no discomfort can still be diseased and requires urgent treatment. These are the typical symptoms of an inflammation of the tooth root: The purulent inflammation at the tip of the root can – as already mentioned – go on for a long time without root inflammation symptoms. However, if the body’s own defenses are exhausted, the contents of the cavity break out, causing great pain and swelling of the tissue.
An abscess has developed, the well-known “thick cheek“.
- Pain
- Swelling
- Headaches
- General symptoms of illness
- Suppuration
- Death of the tooth
A thick cheek usually develops in connection with a carious tooth that has been left untreated for a long period of time. It is not the caries itself, but diseases that occur in the course of a caries attack, which are the cause of these swellings.
Starting from the caries, the bacteria penetrate into the tooth pulp, where they damage nerve fibers that enter the bony jaw from the tooth. The result is an inflammation of the tooth root, which sooner or later spreads to the jaw. The reason for the thick cheek is the storage of water in the inflamed tissue (edema).
Root canal inflammation usually causes severe toothache and therefore usually drives those affected to the dentist’s office. Freely-available painkillers, e.g. ibuprofen, can help against the pain. It is quite possible that toothache caused by an inflammation of the tooth root can radiate into other areas and cause other types of pain.
These include pain such as headaches, earaches or jaw pain. In addition, neck pain can also be caused by teeth, which is often underestimated. Probably the most common form of radiation is headaches.
But how can it be that one tooth causes so many different kinds of pain? A typical symptom of dental root inflammation is the thick cheek, the abscess. If this abscess is not treated by a dentist early on, by letting the pus that is in this swelling drain through an incision, it can migrate.
The inflammation spreads and tries to get into the bloodstream. The direction in which it spreads can lead to headaches. The severity of these headaches is variable.
They appear intermittently or even continuously. The headaches lead to unilateral or bilateral complaints. It is also possible that the entire head area hurts and an exact location of the pain cannot be determined.
The individual perception of these complaints is also different. Those affected are often not even aware that a tooth is the actual cause and the symptoms are dismissed as simple headaches. As a result, people reach into the medicine cabinet and take painkillers to relieve their symptoms without going to a doctor who can make the right diagnosis.
But it is precisely this behavior that allows for the emergence of serious consequences.If the inflammation of the tooth root is not treated in time and the inflammation enters the bloodstream, in an emergency sepsis with organ failure as a complication can occur, which is life-threatening. Because of these devastating complications, these “simple” headaches should not be underestimated lightly and one should visit the dentist at an early stage in order to find the cause and treat it specifically. However, if immediate treatment is not forthcoming, the inflammatory processes within the tooth and jaw tissue will continue to progress.
This leads to accumulations of pus, which can penetrate deeper into the bone and cause severe damage. At this point, the initial pain usually subsides, but this is a rather bad sign. The pus can migrate from the jawbone to the surrounding tissue.
It is particularly dangerous when pus migrates towards the eye socket or the neck. An inflammation of the tooth root is therefore always in need of treatment! If an inflammation of the tooth root manifests itself so that bacteria from the inside of the tooth reach the bloodstream, the local disease can lead to fever with increased temperature.
Fever is always a defensive reaction of the body against an attack by germs. However, symptoms such as tiredness and exhaustion are not uncommon. In combination with fever and an increased heartbeat of more than 90 beats per minute, these symptoms can already indicate the onset of sepsis.
Sepsis is a generalized inflammation of the body in response to an infection with microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or others. The immune system tries to fight this inflammation with its own means, whereupon the fever develops. The specific response of the body depends on the type of germ.
Further symptoms besides an increased heartbeat are an increased breathing rate, confusion and a strong fatigue. The specific inflammation parameters in the blood, such as the white blood cells, are also greatly increased. These symptoms can increase to such an extent that the body can no longer fight the infection and the organs gradually fail.
This condition is acutely life-threatening and can lead to heart failure and thus death. At the first signs of an increase in temperature above 38 degrees Celsius, it is advisable to consult a physician. Acute caution is required if the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius. The doctor will prescribe antipyretic medication. This condition can already be life-threatening, as a temperature above 42 degrees Celsius is no longer tolerable for the body.
