Pulpectomies
A full clean-out of an infected baby tooth's nerve canals, so the tooth can stay put.
Treatment for a baby tooth where infection has spread the full length of the nerve, into the roots. All of the nerve tissue is removed, the canals are cleaned, and the space is filled with a material the body can reabsorb.
After numbing, the canals are cleaned out and disinfected, then filled with a material that breaks down naturally as the root does. The tooth is sealed and crowned to hold it together.
The alternative is usually extraction. Keeping the tooth preserves the space, protects the bite, and lets the adult tooth arrive on its own schedule instead of being guided back into position later.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about pulpectomies.
Extraction is simpler on the day but often costs more later, in drifted teeth, a space maintainer, and a crowded adult tooth. Dr. Truong will lay out both options honestly.
No, and that is deliberate. It dissolves at roughly the rate the baby root does, so it does not block the adult tooth.
Often one, sometimes two if the infection needs settling first. You will know the plan before treatment starts.
Sometimes, depending on how far the infection has spread. Dr. Truong will tell you if they are needed rather than prescribing by default.
Occasionally a treated tooth stays symptomatic and needs removing. We will monitor it and be straight with you if that happens.