Root Canal Treatment For Children

Endodontic treatment involves the pulp of a tooth. The pulp contains the tooth’s nerve. It also contains blood vessels that give the tooth oxygen and nutrients. When the pulp is injured or infected, endodontic treatment is often done to try to save the tooth.

Your child may need endodontic treatment if he or she:

•    Feels pain in a tooth at any time, for no apparent reason
•    Has a tooth that is very sensitive to temperature changes
•    Has a broken tooth with exposed pulp

Endodontic treatment can be done in adult (permanent) or baby (primary) teeth. Even though baby teeth eventually will fall out, your dentist will suggest fixing them unless they would normally fall out soon. Baby teeth are important for chewing and speaking. They also hold spaces for the permanent teeth that replace them. If your child loses a baby tooth too soon, neighboring teeth can move into the empty space. This could block the permanent tooth from coming in, or cause it to grow in tilted.

If your child has serious medical problems, any infection can be serious. If the tooth was damaged by infection, there is a small chance that it could become infected again after root canal treatment. In this case, your dentist would probably recommend that the tooth be removed. If your child is healthy and removing the tooth might affect his or her ability to eat or speak properly, or the permanent tooth’s ability to come in properly, your dentist may suggest root canal treatment.

After Endodontic Treatment

Your child may have some soreness after endodontic treatment. It can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers for children.