Pulpal Therapy for Children

Pulpal therapy (Pulpotomy or Pulpectomy) is a paediatric dental treatment used to treat and preserve a child's natural tooth that has been affected by an injury or tooth decay.

The pulp is soft tissue located inside the teeth. When a tooth becomes damaged or decayed, the pulp may be exposed to bacteria, causing infection and pain. Rather than extract the tooth entirely, the infected pulp may be removed and replaced with a filler that prevents bacteria from further damaging the tooth.

Having pulp therapy done on a tooth is the treatment of choice to save a tooth that otherwise would die and have to be removed. Many patients believe that removing a tooth that has problems is the solution, but what they do not realize is that extracting (pulling) a tooth may ultimately be costly and cause significant problems with space maintenance for permanent teeth.

Pulp treatment is highly successful and usually lasts the lifetime of the baby tooth, although on occasion, a tooth will have to be extracted due to new or recurrent infections.

Signs and symptoms for possible pulp therapy :

  •  Sensitivity to hot and cold.
  •  Severe toothache pain.
  •  Sometimes no symptoms are present.
  •  Swelling and/or tenderness.

Reasons for pulp therapy :

  •  Decay has reached the tooth pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth).
  •  Infection or abscess has developed inside the tooth or at the root tip.
  •  Injury or trauma to the tooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Only our paediatric team can diagnose a diseased tooth for your child. However, an infected pulp may cause certain symptoms in a child, such as a chronic or a frequent toothache, pain, swelling and sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.

Pulpal therapy requires removal of disease pulp within the tooth. Though pulp therapy does affect the appearance of the natural teeth, it is not noticeable when capped with a dental crown. We at Therapeuo use dental crowns to cap treated teeth not only for cosmetic purposes but also to help prevent future tooth damage or fracture. These crowns may be either metallic or tooth coloured. Call us for a consultation regarding which crown would benefit your child further following pulpal therapy.

Initially, the treatment site will be numbed to prevent patient discomfort. The diseased pulp is carefully removed, whether in part or in whole. The canals inside the tooth are cleaned and filled with a therapeutic material. Finally, the tooth is capped with a dental crown to protect it and provide a discreet appearance.

Did You
Know ?

Our Paediatric Team uses pulp therapy to treat both primary and permanent teeth? Saving the 'baby teeth' is important for the long-term oral health of a child. When a primary tooth is extracted prematurely, the neighbouring teeth may become crowded and future permanent teeth may emerge with poor alignment (leading to further treatment with braces). Pulp therapy helps ensure an infected primary tooth remains intact until it naturally falls out.

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