Final answer:
Pulpitis is a potential diagnosis when a patient experiences pain in reaction to hot or cold temperatures due to irritated tooth pulp. Composite fillings are less likely to cause this issue than metal fillings due to closer expansion coefficients to natural tooth enamel, and severe cases may require root canal therapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the tooth pulp is irritated and the patient experiences pain to thermal stimuli, a diagnosis of pulpitis can be made. This condition can be a result of thermal stress, which occurs when dental fillings made of metal have a higher coefficient of expansion compared to tooth enamel leading to discomfort and potentially cracks in the fillings when consuming hot or cold substances. Nowadays, composite fillings, resembling porcelain, are used which have coefficients of expansion much closer to that of tooth enamel, reducing the risk of thermal stress.
Inflammatory pain is associated with tissue damage and is a typical response to the irritation of the dental pulp. The pain can be exacerbated by temperature changes, such as those from eating ice cream or sipping a hot drink, which can cause sudden expansion or contraction of materials within the tooth. If the condition progresses or the pain becomes severe, root canal therapy may be necessary to remove the irritated or infected pulp to prevent infection and abscess formation.