Etiologies, risk factors and outcomes of dental pulp necrosis

Abstract

Dental pulp necrosis is referred to the situation in which the teeth biologically die due to bacterial infection or without bacterial infection. Dental pulp necrosis can be due to a chronic progression of pulpitis, in which the tissue of soft pulp in the tooth dies due to several causes such as trauma or severe bacterial infection. Untreated cavities, multiple invasive treatments for the tooth, and pathological ischemia for dental pulp are among the most common causes for the necrosis process. Usually, the first symptom of dental pulp necrosis is the irritant pain in the tooth only or the surrounding area because of the inflammation. The grade of pain ranges from mild, moderate, to severe pain according to the size of the damage, followed by swelling and discomfort in chewing due to the pressure on the nerve root at the base of the tooth. We aim to review the different etiologies, risk factors, correlations, and clinical outcomes associated with pulp necrosis. To our knowledge, this article is going to be the first comprehensive review of dental pulp necrosis.