Pulpitis — symptoms you should not ignore

The pulp is the "inside" of the tooth — the bundle of blood vessels and nerves that lives in the pulp chamber and root canals. When it inflames, the pain can be one of the strongest known to medicine. Pulpitis means decay has reached deep — and the window for "just a filling" is closing or has closed.

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Classic symptoms of pulpitis

1. Pain that wakes you up at night — throbbing, worse when lying down.
2. Reaction to heat, not only cold — coffee, hot soup, shower. Sometimes cold gives temporary relief.
3. Pain lasting more than 30 seconds after a trigger — the key sign vs normal sensitivity.
4. Radiating pain — half the jaw, the ear, the temple. Patients often "don't know which tooth hurts".
5. Spontaneous pain — hurts without any trigger.

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Reversible vs irreversible pulpitis

Reversible — short cold sensitivity, passes fast. Pulp can still be saved with a filling. Window: days, at most weeks.

Irreversible — spontaneous pain, heat pain, night pain, radiating. Pulp cannot be saved — root canal or extraction.

The line is thin and easy to cross — how fast you see a dentist matters.

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What to do now

1. Book the earliest slot (24–48 h). Say "severe tooth pain" — most offices keep urgent slots.
2. NSAID first (ibuprofen/ketoprofen), paracetamol as add-on.
3. Cold pack on cheek, not warm.
4. Sleep with head elevated.
5. Do not chew on that side.

ER now if: swelling, fever above 38°C, trouble swallowing, pus, uncontrollable pain.

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Pre-check before you reach the office

Your preDenti AI scan result appears on screen in about a minute; we'll also email a copy. A licensed dentist writes how urgently you need a visit (99 PLN, within 24 h). Not a replacement — but it helps decide between "tomorrow morning" and "same-day emergency slot".