Extractions and Pulpotomies Like everything that has to do with your child's health, you have to keep a careful watch on your children's teeth. Sometimes this isn't the easiest thing to do. You get busy taking children to soccer practice or piano lessons. You're planning the family vacation. Dental health isn't always a top priority. Until suddenly, your child is in discomfort from a tooth that has a large cavity, or that is infected. Sometimes, the tooth is so badly infected; we have to do a pulpotomy or even an extraction. Those words sound serious, but what do they mean? Jacobsen Pediatric Dentistry is here to give you some information on pulpotomies and extractions in children.What Is A Pulpotomy?In the past, when a child's tooth became infected, dentists just removed them. At the time, this was thought to be the best practice. However, now we believe that if it is possible to save the tooth, we should try to save it. That's because the best thing for your child's oral health is to save the tooth. To try and save an infected tooth, we can perform a pulpotomy. A pulpotomy removes the tooth pulp from the top part of the infected tooth. Pulp is the part of the tooth found underneath the enamel. It is filled with nerve endings and blood vessels. When the pulp gets infected, it can be extremely uncomfortable for children. What Happens In A Pulpotomy?In a pulpotomy, anesthesia is applied to the mouth, but in most cases, your child won't be sedated. After the child's mouth is numbed, the tooth is isolated. We would go into the tooth pulp using the hole that the cavity has already made. The infected pulp is then removed from the tooth. Medication is packed into the hole to prevent infection, and the hole in the tooth is repaired. If necessary, the tooth can be crowned or capped to protect the tooth from further damage. What Is An Extraction?In some cases, the tooth is too badly infected or damaged to be treated. When that happens, the tooth is removed or extracted from the mouth of the child. Extraction is preferred in cases where the tooth cannot be saved, and the child is in terrible distress. Extractions are also performed when there is severe crowding in the mouth. When an extraction happens, your child will usually be sedated for their comfort so the tooth can be removed. We will be able to tell you whether or not your child will need sedation. While sedation and tooth extraction sound scary, in some cases, it is better than your child being experiencing constant aching from an infected tooth. Are you worried that your child has an infected tooth? Are you worried about their dental health? Are they complaining about a tooth? Do you think they might need a pulpotomy or an extraction? Give Jacobsen Pediatric Dentistry a call at (971) 459-2431. We would be happy to help ease your mind and talk to you about dental care, pulpotomies, and extractions. |
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