Dental pulp is the portion of a tooth that is located at the center and is made up of living connective tissue and cells. Pulp therapy is a treatment used to save a tooth when a tooth’s pulp  becomes inflamed or infected. Also referred to as a pulpectomy or nerve treatment, pulp therapy is performed on both baby teeth and permanent adult teeth. Even though primary teeth are eventually lost and replaced, they are still important for speech, chewing, and maintaining correct spacing for permanent teeth.

A variety of symptoms can indicate pulp problems that require pulp therapy. These include ongoing tooth pain that lasts throughout the day and into the evening,  temperature sensitivity, looseness or mobility of a tooth that occurs for no obvious reason, and redness and swelling of the gums. Most dentists concur that even a damaged baby tooth should be saved, rather than extracted whenever possible. A number of problems can occur when baby teeth are prematurely lost. These include:

Maintaining the integrity of a child’s teeth and oral health are important to his or her overall health and wellbeing.

Thanks to advances in dentistry and modern anesthetics, pulp therapy can be performed with minimal discomfort. Also, Kids Dental is equipped to provide sedation dentistry services for patients who are especially sensitive or anxious. Some children may experience minor discomfort following treatment, but this should be easily remedied with  over-the-counter pain medication. The team at Kids Dental will provide detailed aftercare instructions to ensure your child recovers quickly and comfortably.

Yes. The dentist will cap the treated tooth with a crown for protection.