Anatomy and conditions
Pulp
Also called tooth nerve
The soft center of a tooth that holds nerves and blood vessels.
The pulp is the soft tissue inside the center of a tooth, containing nerves and blood vessels. It helps the tooth grow in childhood. If deep decay, a crack or an injury reaches the pulp, it can become inflamed or infected, causing pain or swelling. Treatment may be a root canal or, in a baby tooth, a smaller pulp procedure. Patients who call with throbbing pain may have pulp trouble.
Example at the front desk
Her pain wakes her at night, so the dentist wants to check the pulp today.