Saving Infected Baby Teeth Through Pulpotomy
A discretionary dentistry procedure, pulpotomy is a way to save a child’s baby molar until it can be expelled naturally later by the incoming adult tooth. Saving baby teeth does not seem necessary to many parents (won’t they eventually fall out anyway?), but preventing them from falling out too early is actually vital to a child’s future oral health.
A damaged or decayed baby tooth that falls out too soon leaves a space in the mouth. This space then causes other teeth to shift into it, preventing the adult teeth from having a clear path to erupt. This early tooth loss can cause difficulty eating and speaking which can negatively affect a child’s well-being.
Pulpotomy and Crown
A badly infected or decayed tooth will create problems in the pulp (inner part of the tooth). Inside the tooth, this pulp chamber is filled with nerves and soft tissue. In a diseased tooth, the pulp has become compromised and causes a toothache and further damage to the tooth.
This infected pulp needs to be removed or the tooth will need to be removed entirely. The pulpotomy involves opening up the tooth and removing the infected pulp in the crown portion of the tooth. The infection inside the tooth is cleaned and treated, and a stainless steel crown is then placed on the tooth to complete the procedure.
Healthy Smiles Performs Quality Pulpotomies
It is actually a quick procedure and is done with a local anesthetic to numb the tooth, so the child does not feel pain. Healthy Smiles in Raleigh is experienced at performing this procedure successfully for your child.