Nerve therapy eliminates the pain and infection of badly decayed teeth, allowing them to stay in place for several more years. This is vital for preventing bite irregularities and space loss that leads to future orthodontic complications caused by premature tooth loss.
Fully-formed adult teeth are treated with a root canal when there is nerve damage. Baby teeth, or teeth that are still developing, are treated with pulpotomies. The pulpotomy procedure removes only the diseased pulp of the tooth, rather than all of the pulp. No root canal files are involved.
Pulpotomies are used on teeth that have very deep cavities and nerve inflammation, but only if there is no abscess present. Abscessed teeth may need to be “hugged” (extracted).
“A baby tooth is not just a baby tooth.”
These “baby root canals” preserve your child’s baby tooth — because the natural tooth is the best placeholder when it comes to guiding adult teeth into place.
After Treatment
Because the tooth has undergone nerve treatment, it is important to completely seal off the tooth from future oral bacterial contamination. Dr. Christine Wang recommends placing a crown over the entire tooth. It can also keep the tooth from breaking down in the future and allow for continual proper biting or chewing until it is the proper time for that tooth to fall out. After all, premature tooth loss can cause a chain reaction that alters the natural tooth alignment of your child’s adult smile.
Comfort for Every Child
In addition to the area around the tooth being numbed with “sleepy juice,” Dr. Christine also provides in-house pediatric sedation dentistry. This allows us to address even the most complex dental needs, while sparing your child a scary experience.
Dr. Christine is also great at storytelling and distraction! There is a good chance your child will not even realize what is going on, either because of our dentist, or because they will be busy watching the TV on the ceiling or giggling from the laughing gas. If none of those distractions suffice, in-office general anesthesia is also available for pulpotomy treatments in Redmond, Washington.
As a board-certified pediatric specialist, Dr. Christine is equipped to provide for the comprehensive oral needs of every child in the Redmond community. Redmond Ridge Pediatric Dentistry also offers orthodontic evaluations for children. Call us today at 425-284-9884 to find out how we are changing the way kids feel about going to the dentist!