In the Know for You to Know

Your child may have woken up with a toothache or hurt their tooth playing sports. Maybe your neighbor or sister-in-law called you because your child is at a sleepover and has tooth pain. Before you know it you’re being told the nerve in their tooth is inflamed and they need a pulpotomy.

Then you’re thinking, what does all this mean, what is a pulpotomy, and why does my child need a pulpotomy?

I’ve had a lot of questions recently about pulpotomies. Today I’m answering your questions and breaking down the basics on a frequently performed procedure but one you’re not familiar with, a pulpotomy.

Do Baby Teeth Have Nerves?

Yes, Baby teeth have nerves. The nerve is the inner most part of the tooth.

The Nerve Of The Tooth Is Also Known As The Dental Pulp

The nerve, or dental pulp of a tooth is the inner most part of the tooth. The pulp is a jelly-like structure in the center of every tooth, which contains nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and specialized cells. The purpose of the pulp is to keep the tooth alive.

Why Does A Baby Tooth Need A Pulpotomy?

Cavities and a traumatic injury to a child’s tooth are the main reasons the tooth’s pulp is wounded.

A pulpotomy is performed in order to remove the damaged portion of the nerve and keep the remaining part of the pulp intact and alive.

This way the tooth feels normal and your child can keep their baby tooth until it falls out naturally and is replaced by an adult tooth.

What Is A Pulpotomy?

A pulpotomy is a procedure in which a dentist removes the decayed part of the tooth’s pulp to help prevent the formation of an infection, so your child can keep their baby tooth until it falls out naturally.

This procedure is only performed on baby teeth, and when there are no signs or symptoms of infection, such as pain, sensitivity, or swelling.

Is A Pulpotomy Like A Root Canal?

A baby tooth pulpotomy is sometimes referred to as a “baby root canal” or a “baby nerve treatment,” but this is not the same as an adult tooth root canal.

In a traditional root canal, all of the dental pulp is removed. In contrast a pulpotomy only removes the diseased pulp and is intended to preserve the remaining healthy pulp. This helps to keep the tooth healthy and strong.

It’s Only A Baby Tooth, Why Save It?

Children with strong healthy baby teeth grow up to have strong healthy adult teeth.

It’s important to take care of baby teeth because infections in baby teeth cause pain and can damage developing adult teeth.

Healthy baby teeth are also important because they help with proper speech development, chewing, good nutrition, and maintaining space for the adult teeth to come in correctly.

What Should We Be Doing At Home To Prevent Needing A Pulpotomy In The Future?

ToothBrushing And Flossing Routine

Tooth brushing and flossing are simple but crucial to keep your child’s mouth healthy. Make sure to brush 2X’s a day and floss once a day with your child to establish a healthy brushing routine.

Mouthguards Matter

As a parent you are always saying “Wear your helmet!” when our children want to go out to ride their bike, skateboard or scooter. Mouthguards offer the same protection.

While a helmet protects a child’s head, a mouthguard helps cushion a blow to the mouth and face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your child’s lips, tongue, face or jaws.

When it comes to protecting your child’s mouth, a mouthguard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of their standard equipment from an early age.

What To Remember

A pulpotomy is often recommended as a way for your child to be able to keep their baby tooth and is performed on a tooth for a few reasons —

• when the bacteria from a cavity penetrate into the nerve of a tooth,
• a tooth is broken and the crack is extends into the nerve of the tooth.

This procedure is done because they are too young to lose their baby tooth, and their adult tooth is not developed enough to grow in.

Has your child had a toothache and needed a pulpotomy? Has your child suffered a hit to their mouth which cracked their tooth and they needed a pulpotomy? Have you ever had a root canal? Tell us, We’d really like to know! Send us an email to kidstoothhotline@proton.me Like Us of Chat with us on Facebook

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