Tooth pain from infection or inflammation of the pulp. Prompt evaluation matters — untreated pulpitis can progress to abscess or tooth loss.
What typically happens with each treatment choice over time, based on clinical evidence — not individual cases.
Most cases progress toward pulpal necrosis and abscess formation.
What it means: Often requires emergency root canal or extraction.
Untreated irreversible pulpitis typically ends in necrosis with periapical bone loss.
What it means: Tooth loss or emergency extraction becomes likely.
Successful healing and tooth retention in the large majority of cases.
What it means: Tooth saved and pain resolved.
Long-term tooth retention with a well-fitted crown restoration.
What it means: Tooth retained; occasional re-treatment possible.
Public outcomes are shown only where the direction is supported by high-tier evidence — Cochrane systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses. We report the untreated ("do nothing") branch alongside active treatment. Each figure is an evidence-informed, directional estimate consistent with the peer-reviewed literature and professional-body guidance (Cochrane Oral Health, ADA, AAE, AAP, AAOMS) — not a number quoted from one specific study — and is reviewed by our Benchmark Council. Estimates are population-level and may not apply to your individual case.