Pediatric Root Canal Therapy: Purpose and Procedure

Pediatric Root Canal Therapy: Purpose and Procedure

October 23, 2013 / in pediatric root canal / by FWCD-Admin

Your daredevil child has tried to pull his “Evel Knievel” stunt again—only this time, his bike didn’t quite clear that large tree stump. Now, his front tooth has been damaged or even knocked out. Maybe your child’s tooth simply has decayed and needs attention. In either situation, the tooth can be saved; your children’s dentist will recommend that your child simply undergo a pediatric root canal. 

A pediatric root canal is necessary to remove the dead tissue present in your child’s tooth so that the tooth can be saved.

There are two kinds of root canal therapies for children. First, if your child’s baby tooth simply has decay that reaches the area of the nerves and has not spread to the tooth’s roots, your children’s dentist will perform a pulpotomy—where all of the decay is removed, along with the top section of the pulp (the part of the center of the tooth that contains the nerves and blood vessels). Then, a filling is placed inside the tooth, and a tooth-like cap called a crown is placed on top. In order for a pulpotomy to be done on a tooth, the tooth should not have swelling around it and should not be loose.

Meanwhile, a pulpectomy is where the dentist completely removes all of the tissue in the pulp of a tooth if the tooth has been knocked out or traumatized, or if decay reaches the tooth’s roots. In addition to trauma or decay, a crack or chip in the tooth or even a large filling can cause damage to the nerves of your child’s tooth. In any of these cases, the tooth will eventually die. The damaged nerve tissue must be removed because once the tooth dies, this tissue breaks down, which allows bacteria to grow in the area and can leads to an abscess. A pediatric root canal is necessary to remove the dead tissue present in your child’s tooth so that the tooth can be saved.

To find out more about whether your child may need root canal treatment, contact our experienced dental team today.