Pulp

Looks like

Soft tissue with nerves and blood vessels filling the hollow centre of each tooth.

What it does

Keeps the tooth alive and senses heat, cold and damage.

Keeping it well

Deep decay infects it; lingering pain or swelling of the face or jaw is a dental emergency, and swelling spreading to the neck needs hospital care.

Related conditions

• Amyloidosis (AL and ATTR)
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Botulism
• Burning mouth syndrome
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Chronic neuropathic pain
• Chronic pain syndrome
• Dental abscess
• Fibromyalgia
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Hand, foot and mouth disease
• Impacted wisdom teeth
• Lichen planus
• Lyme disease
• Mouth ulcers (aphthous stomatitis)
• Myasthenia gravis
• Pemphigus vulgaris
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Rabies
• Restless legs syndrome
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Stevens–Johnson syndrome / toxic epidermal necrolysis
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Tetanus
• Tooth decay & gum disease
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies