If your child suffers from the pain and swelling of a consistent toothache, you may need to bring them to in for a pulpotomy (also known as a pulpectomy). With a pulpotomy, we can heal the tooth and help your child recover from what can be a very painful problem. Call our dentist today if you would like to learn more about pulpotomy.
Pulpotomy is a treatment that is most often used on infant teeth. When decay or injury reaches the center of the tooth, your child begins to experience tooth pain and sensitivity. If not treated, the tooth will likely abscess and eventually need removal. In order to prevent this, Dr. Johnson may recommend a pulpotomy.
During this procedure, we remove the decay from the tooth. The area is sterilized, but unlike a regular root canal treatment, the tooth nerves are not removed or treated. In some cases, not all of the dental pulp is removed, maintaining the health of uninfected pulp. For these situations, we often use a therapeutic dressing to maintain the healthy portions of the tooth. After the decayed pulp is removed and the tooth is cleaned, the tooth often requires a dental crown.
While pulpotomy is rarely recommended for permanent (adult) teeth, this treatment may be suggested if decay has reached the pulp while the majority of the pulp is still healthy. If the roots of the tooth have not finished forming, a partial pulpotomy can give the tooth a chance to finish forming.
For more information about therapeutic pulpotomy and the other high-quality services we provide, please feel free to contact our office today.
