The Basics Of Pulpotomies
Pulpotomies are also called “baby root canals” because they are very similar to root canals, but are performed on baby teeth. In a pulpotomy, your child’s tooth will be opened up, and then Dr. Richard will use special dental tools to clean out infected and decayed pulp from the inside of the tooth.
After this, a special substance is applied to the remaining pulp. This encourages it to heal and helps prevent the infection from coming back. Then, the tooth is sealed and covered with a filling or a crown to protect it.
The Benefits Of Pulpotomies
Why Baby Root Canals Are Important
Preserve their tooth
First, a baby root canal preserves your child’s baby tooth until it falls out naturally. This helps prevent issues with their oral development in the future.
Eliminate pain and discomfort
Infected teeth can be extremely painful and uncomfortable. With a pulpotomy, you’ll be able to restore your child’s tooth and eliminate their pain so that they can get back to their normal routine.
Save time & money
Extracting a tooth and replacing it with a space maintainer is a more invasive, time-consuming, and expensive process. By saving the tooth with a baby root canal, you can save both time and money.
Common Causes
How Does A Tooth Become Infected?
Dental trauma and tooth decay are the most common causes of tooth infections. Dental trauma can cause chips or cracks in the tooth. If this damage is deep enough, it can expose the pulp inside the tooth to bacteria, causing an infection.
Tooth decay is also a common culprit. Over time, a serious cavity can eat away at the outer layers of the tooth, eventually reaching the pulp inside the tooth. Again, oral bacteria will enter the pulp, causing an infected tooth.
The best way to prevent infected teeth is to maintain good at-home oral hygiene and avoid cavities, and see a dentist every six months for a check-up. In addition, if your child plays contact sports, an athletic mouth guard can help protect their teeth from being damaged if they are hit in the mouth.
Crowns vs. Fillings
What You Need to Know
Both dental fillings and crowns are used to restore decayed teeth. The main difference is that fillings are not appropriate for extensive decay. In teeth that have very large cavities, a filling won’t be strong enough to protect and restore the tooth.
So, in these cases, a crown is a better option. Because it will cover up and replace the entire tooth structure, it will be stronger, more resistant to wear and tear, and provide better overall results compared to a filling. At your child’s appointment, Dr. Richard can discuss the differences between these treatments in more detail, and help you determine which option is right for your child.
Recognizing Tooth Infections
The Signs & Symptoms
The most common sign of an infected tooth is a toothache. Your child may complain of a sore tooth, or say that their tooth feels sore or sensitive when they consume hot or cold foods and drinks.
In addition to this, the gum tissue near the infected tooth may appear swollen and red due to the high bacteria levels inside the tooth. The tooth itself may also become discolored. It may look dark, brown, yellow, or black.
What Is the Difference Between a Pulpotomy and a Root Canal?
Both pulpotomies and root canals involve physically removing the infected dental pulp from the tooth to treat a tooth infection. The inside of the tooth is then filled with some kind of material and the tooth is usually protected with a dental crown.
However, the main differences lay in the methods of treating the infection. A root canal is more invasive because it involves removing all of the infected pulp, including the roots. In a pulpotomy, only the crown portion of the dental pulp is removed, which is why it is only suitable for patients with an infection that is concentrated in the crown of the tooth.
Once it’s spread beyond this point, a root canal will be necessary. Pulpotomies are almost exclusively used on children because it isn’t successful long-term on adult teeth. However, pulpotomies can be performed on adult teeth in certain cases.
Root canals also involve thorough cleaning, sanitizing, and re-shaping of all of the canals inside of the tooth. The tooth is then filled with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. In a pulpotomy, a medicated filling is placed to fill the tooth structure and kill the bacteria.
The pulp in the tooth needs to be healthy enough for a pulpotomy to be viable. Indications that a pulpotomy is no longer viable include a pulp chamber that is empty, dry, or filled with pus. If the pulp bleeds, it is a sign that the pulp is still healthy, but if it doesn’t stop bleeding within 1 or 2 minutes, it is no longer healthy enough for a pulpotomy.
Does A Pulpotomy Hurt?
No, a pulpotomy is not painful because we use a local anesthetic to numb your child’s mouth during the procedure. They will not feel any pain while we work on their tooth and it is less invasive than a root canal.
If your child has dental anxiety or low pain tolerance, dental sedation is also available. Your child is more likely to experience pain before a pulpotomy, because of the painful tooth infection. They will get relief once the pulpotomy is complete.
Some minor tenderness and tooth sensitivity can be expected once the anesthetic wears off and can last for the first few days, but this should be manageable with pain medication like Tylenol. The pain and discomfort will subside within a few days.
How Do I Prepare My Child For A Pulpotomy?
Prepare your child for the pulpotomy procedure by easing their nerves and promoting a positive attitude. Let them know why they need this treatment and how it’s going to help take away their pain. Tell your child that the treatment is simple, only about 30-45 minutes long, and will not be painful.
Their mouth will be numbed the entire time which will also relieve their infection pain. You can inform them that if they would like additional sedation to calm their nerves and make them feel relaxed, this is available to them. You can also assure them that the aftercare is very minimal and similar to other routine dental care.