Baby Root Canal and its necessity

Most of the parents might have experienced their child suffering from tooth pain. And the dentist may have suggested a baby root canal for their child. However most of us don’t know the necessity of a root canal in milk tooth. We will think that milk teeth will shed one day and what is the purpose of saving these teeth. Here is the answer to that.

 Is Root Canal for Baby Tooth necessary?

 Root canal treatment is ideal on a tooth with an infection.  If the tooth decay extends to the pulpal portion of the tooth, root canal is the ideal treatment.  If the baby’s tooth loses prematurely it can lead to other issues.

1. Hence  tooth pain and early loss of teeth can interfere with chewing and difficulty in digestion.
2.  It can affect development of speech.
3.  If the baby tooth loses prematurely it will result in space loss there by interfering in the alignment of permanent teeth.
4. And it may also affect jaw growth.

 Symptoms indicating the need for Root Canal on Babies

1.  Pain in the tooth
2.  Swelling near the tooth
3.  Fractured tooth near pulp.

 Is baby root canal dangerous

 However it is safe as an adult root canal. Moreover if it is not done on an infected tooth it can lead to swelling extending to the face that is a bit dangerous.

Also Read : How to Stop Mouth Breathing in Children

 Types of Baby Root Canal

1. Pulpotomy

  Evidently to preserve the  vitality of pulp, go for pulpotomy.  Only the coronal part of the pulp with infection is removed and place a dressing over the pulp to protect it and to promote healing .

Indications of pulpotomy

•  Caries exposure with incomplete root formation
•  Traumatic exposure of pulp

 Contradiction of pulpotomy

1.   Abnormal sensitivity to heat and cold
2.  Chronic Pulpal pain.

 Medicaments used for pulpotomy

1.  calcium hydroxide
2.  mineral trioxide aggregate
3.  Formacresol

  Follow up after pulpotomy

•  Check with radiograph and vitality test every 3 months.
•  In the event of pain, perform pulpectomy

2.  Pulpectomy

 Is a procedure to remove the pulpal tissue with infection from the crown and roots of a tooth.  To save  baby teeth with severe infection, pulpectomy is the better choice.

 Indication of pulpectomy

•  Severe tooth pain
•  Deep caries
•  Trauma to the tooth

 How is pulpectomy done

 Firstly anesthetize the tooth. Cleaning of the tooth cavity from the root to crown.  Infected tissue is completely taken out.   After cleaning the root canal, filling the canal with a material that  will resorb along with the root. Apart from this the tooth is given permanent filling after one week.  Finally a stainless steel crown is placed over the tooth to prevent the fracture of the tooth.

Also Read : Causes of Discolored Baby Teeth

 Baby Root Canal vs Extraction

 If the tooth is mobile,or with severe decay or roots with resorption,  pulpectomy for baby root canal is not ideal.  So in this case extraction is the choice and a space maintainer is given until the permanent tooth erupts.

 Baby Root Canal vs Adult Root Canal

 In the baby root canal,  the canal is filled with the material that is resorbed along with the root. But in an adult root canal,  the  Canal is filled with non resorbable material.

 Hence it is always better to save the tooth in its place until the permanent tooth erupts in order to develop proper speech, improve chewing efficiency,  and to prevent overcrowding.