Question

Which is not a feature of pain increase of painful irreversible pulpitis? Option 1: Pain is intense Option 2: Pain is usually localized to the offending tooth Option 3: Pain can be throbbing Option 4: Pain can last from minutes to hours

Answer 1

In irreversible pulpitis, the pain is typically intense, localised to the affected tooth, and throbbing. However, the pain is usually more persistent, not just lasting from minutes to hours. It continues until the cause of the inflammation is addressed.

Step-by-step explanation:

Coming to the features of pain in irreversible pulpitis, the pain is in fact intense (Option 1), localized to the affected tooth (Option 2), and can indeed be throbbing in nature (Option 3). We know this because irreversible pulpitis is an inflammatory pain caused by tissue damage. It happens when tooth decay reaches the pulp, sending amplified pain signals to the brain. Nociceptors receive signals from chemical messengers like cytokines, serotonin, and prostaglandins released by damaged cells, and these messages are transmitted to the central nervous system. The only feature that doesn't fully fit with what we know about irreversible pulpitis is Option 4 because the pain tends to be more persistent, often not just lasting for minutes to hours, but it can continue on a long-term basis until the cause of the inflammation is addressed.

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