1. Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment is a dental procedure that relieves pain caused by an infected or abscessed tooth. During the root canal process, the inflamed pulp is removed. The surfaces inside the tooth are then cleaned and disinfected, and a filling is placed to seal the space.
2. Pulpotomy and Pulpectomy
If the decay or trauma is confined to the crown of the tooth, a pulpotomy may be recommended. When a cavity gets deeper, close to the pulp of a tooth, or into the pulp, then pulpal tissue becomes inflamed and irritated. During pulpotomy the inflamed pulp chamber on a baby molar is removed. All the infected material in the pulp of the crown is removed, leaving the living tooth root intact. After a pulpotomy, the empty space is filled with dental cement and a stainless steel crown is placed to restore the tooth.
If the infection involves tissue in both the tooth crown and the tooth root, then a pulpectomy is recommended. During pulpectomy, the entire pulp material is removed from both the crown and the roots. The child’s tooth is numbed and the pulp and nerve tissue from the crown and from the canals of the roots are removed. The pulp chamber and root canals are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Then, the tooth and tooth roots are filled with dental cement, and finished with a stainless steel crown.