BRENT CAPLE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY IN ROGERS, AR
Pediatric Pulp Therapy
What is pediatric pulp therapy or nerve therapy?
Pediatric pulp therapy is an alternative to a traditional root canal and can preserve teeth that otherwise may be lost. When bacteria is involved in the pulp (nerve) chamber of your child’s tooth, it is necessary to surgically remove the nerve in the pulp chamber and place a medicated filling.
Although teeth are mostly made up of hard bone, they can still feel temperatures and pressure. This is because of what is called the pulp in the tooth. Pulp is made up of nerves, blood vessels, and other tissue and is found in the center of each tooth. Pulp is what allows our teeth to receive oxygen and important nutrients that help keep them healthy.
When pulp is exposed through injury or tooth decay, it can cause a lot of pain and inflammation. In order to prevent extracting the tooth, Dr. Caple may recommend pulp therapy or a pulpotomy.
Pulp therapy is most often recommended for children in order to preserve baby teeth and prevent spacing issues.
What is the procedure like?
There are typically two different possible procedures used in pediatric pulp therapy: a pulpotomy or a pulpectomy. Both procedures showed high success rates of around 94% or more over several years in a study published by PubMed.
A pulpotomy is employed when only part of the pulp of a tooth is infected and involves removing that infected pulp and preserving the nerve and remaining pulp. During this procedure, Dr. Caple will give the child a local anesthetic, wait for the area to numb, and begin by removing the infected pulp. After the infected portion is gone, Dr. Caple installs a plugging agent to calm the pain in the nerve and prevent future infection. Finally, a crown is placed over the tooth to give it strength and reduce fracture risk in the future.
A pulpectomy is recommended when the entire pulp is infected requiring complete removal of the pulp. This procedure also requires a local anesthetic. After the child’s mouth is numbed, Dr. Caple removes all of the tooth’s pulp and cleanses the area to ensure all of the bacteria is removed. Then, if it is a baby tooth, it is filled with a material that can be reabsorbed by the body. Otherwise, it receives a permanent filling and crown at this point.
The success of a pulpotomy depends on the severity of the infection, and the body’s reaction to the infection and this treatment. If the pulpotomy and the tooth abscesses, it must usually be extracted (removed), and a space maintainer placed in the space for the permanent successor.
What aftercare is needed?
After a pulpotomy or pulpectomy, your child’s mouth will remain numb for a few hours. When the local anesthetic wears off, your child may be in some pain. If this pain is not relieved within a day with some children’s Tylenol or ibuprofen, then please contact our office.
You may also manage swelling and pain with ice packs.
Depending on the severity of the tooth infection, Dr. Caple may prescribe antibiotics following the treatment to ensure the infection is eliminated. Also, because a tooth may abscess with or without pain, it is recommended that six-month checkups be made to keep the tooth under observation.
To learn more about pediatric pulp therapy for children and to schedule an appointment at the office of pediatric dentist, Dr. Brent Caple, please request an appointment online or call our office today. Dr. Caple’s pediatric dental clinic in Rogers, Arkansas, serves families across Northwest Arkansas. We are always accepting new patients, and look forward to partnering with you to help your child enjoy a lifetime of oral and dental health.
To schedule an appointment at the office of Brent Caple, DDS, pediatric dentist serving Northwest Arkansas, request an appointment online or call our office today.