Index
It is a procedure used to try to save a severely decayed tooth with infected pulp.
It is sometimes called the “root canal of a baby” since it is most often found in milk teeth, especially molars.
When a cavity becomes deep, near a tooth’s pulp or even inside the pulp, the pulp tissue becomes irritated and inflamed.
This is usually the “tooth pain” you feel. If the inflammation and infection continue without treatment, the tooth will likely become an abscess. In the baby’s molars, a pulpotomy is used in the process of trying to save and restore the tooth.
First, the decomposition is eliminated, and then the pulp chamber (the upper part, not the root canals) is usually removed with a bucket or high-speed bur. A small wet cotton ball with formocresol is placed to “mummify” the pulp stumps and sterilize the area.
After a couple of minutes, the cotton ball is removed, and the opening is usually sealed with zinc oxide and Eugenol material as an MRI. IRM is a material similar to putty that hardens after a few minutes.
After a pulpotomy on a baby molar, it is usually necessary to place a stainless steel crown to restore the tooth. The most common method to treat pulpotomies teeth is formocresol. Other methods include a ferric oxide, MTA, electrosurgery, and even lasers.
What does the procedure involve?
The dentist will start by making the patient feel comfortable using an anesthetic. We offer a series of sedation options for your little one, and they will all be discussed with you in detail before the procedure.
The dentist isolates the target tooth with a rubber sheet or prey during the actual procedure. Then they use a unique tool to remove the decayed parts of the tooth.
The dentist uses a digging spoon to extract the infected part of the pulp in the tooth’s crown. They sterilize the pulp and remaining teeth with medication. The dentist applies putty to seal the remaining tooth.
They select a crown of the correct size and join it to the tooth. In most cases, the crown will be made of stainless steel.
The dentist will examine the patient six months later to see how well the tooth is healing. Some patients develop infections. In some cases, the crown may fall, mainly if the patient ate sticky foods.
What is the difference between a pulpotomy and a pulpectomy?
Both procedures are used to try to save decayed teeth with infected pulps. In a pulpotomy, the dentist only removes the pulp in the tooth’s crown while leaving the pulp in the roots. In a pulpectomy, the dentist removes all the pulp and replaces the pulp of the origins with cement.
Who is a good candidate?
A pulpotomy is performed only when the inflamed pulp is confined to the crown. The tooth must also be restorable. If it is too damaged or weak, the dentist will have to remove it.
The best candidate for a pulpotomy will be a child in good general health. Children with chronic diseases that increase their susceptibility to bacterial infections are not good candidates. Examples include children with leukemia or tumors.
Save your child’s tooth.
If one of your child’s teeth shows deterioration, schedule an appointment at Ashburn Children’s Dentistry in Ashburn for more information on a pulpotomy procedure.
Our dental experts will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Contact us today to reserve your child’s appointment.
If your child’s primary tooth has extensive decay or has been damaged by trauma, an action may be required to restore the tooth’s integrity and prevent the infection from spreading to the surrounding teeth.
After taking a series of x-rays, your dentist can evaluate the extent of the infection and recommend one of two options, a pulpotomy or a pulpectomy.
Pulpotomy and crown
A pulpotomy may be recommended if cavities or trauma are limited to the tooth’s crown. When a hole becomes deep, near a tooth’s pulp, or even inside the pulp, the pulp tissue becomes irritated and inflamed. A pulpotomy is when the inflamed pulp chamber is removed, usually on a baby’s tooth.
The dentist will remove all the infected material in the pulp of the crown only, leaving the root of the living tooth intact. After a pulpotomy in a baby molar, the space will be filled with dental cement, and a stainless steel crown will be placed to restore the tooth.
If the infection involves tissue in both the crown of the tooth and the tooth’s root, a pulpectomy may be the best option. In a pulpectomy, all pulp material is removed from the crown and the seeds.
After numbing your child’s tooth, the dentist will remove the pulp and nerve tissue from the crown and root canals.
Then, the pulp chamber and root canals will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Then, the dentist will fill the roots of teeth and teeth with dental cement and will end up with a stainless steel crown.
Crowns
The crowns are “cemented” on an existing tooth and completely cover the part of the tooth on the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes the new external surface of the tooth.
Dental crowns made of stainless steel are considered a good temporary restoration to save a primary tooth until the permanent tooth can erupt and take its place. Maintaining the primary tooth, if possible, is very important.
A primary tooth can be restored with a stainless steel crown during an appointment. A crowned tooth should brush and floss like other teeth.
Pulpotomy forecast
Pulpotomies have a reasonably good prognosis. You can buy some time, but you can not save a tooth and abscess. It often amazes me how a small decomposition area can be deep enough to reach the pulp.
This is often due to the varied anatomy of milk teeth and the rapid progression of caries. Although it is a very reliable procedure, in rare cases, a tooth with pulpotomy will have complications, and it will be necessary to extract it.
This is usually because the tissue of the pulp remaining in the root canals causes some problems.
