Pulpotomies
Removing infected pulp from the crown of a baby tooth while keeping the root intact.
Treatment for a baby tooth where decay has reached the nerve in the crown but the roots are still healthy. The infected tissue at the top is removed and the healthy root tissue is left alone.
The tooth is numbed, decay and the affected nerve tissue in the crown are removed, a medicated material is placed to calm what remains, and the tooth is sealed and usually crowned.
This keeps the tooth. A baby molar that comes out years early lets the neighboring teeth drift, which crowds the adult tooth underneath. Saving it avoids an extraction and often a space maintainer too.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about pulpotomies.
It is the baby tooth version, and less involved. Only the nerve tissue in the crown is removed, not the full length of the roots.
The tooth is fully numbed first. Most children find the anticipation harder than the appointment, which is why Dr. Truong explains each step first.
A tooth treated this way is weaker and more likely to fracture. A crown seals it and lets it last until it is due out.
Longer than a filling, and often combined with the crown in one visit. We will give you a realistic time when we book it.
Then a pulpectomy is needed instead, which cleans the full canals. Dr. Truong decides based on the X-ray and what he finds.