Inside every tooth is a space called the pulp chamber, which contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues. Nerve treatment, also known as a baby root canal, may be required to save a primary tooth with pulp infection or inflammation resulting from tooth decay or trauma. Your trusted team at Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry will evaluate your child’s unique needs and recommend the best treatment option for a pain-free, healthy smile. 

Why Save a Damaged Baby Tooth?

Even though your child’s primary teeth will eventually fall out, it’s essential to keep them healthy. Those little pearly whites maintain the space needed for the permanent teeth yet to erupt and guide them to come in the correct position. 

If not treated, tooth pulp damage cannot heal on its own. It will continue to progress, leading to pain, an abscess, and even tooth loss. The untimely loss of a baby tooth can interfere with chewing and impact speech development. Moreover, the remaining teeth may shift toward the gap, leading to crooked or impacted adult teeth and a host of long-term oral health concerns. 

What Are the Signs of Tooth Pulp Damage?

The first indication your child requires a baby root canal is spontaneous pain in the area, especially at night. Other signs of infected pulp are tooth sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, gum tenderness or swelling, tooth discoloration, swelling of the cheek or jaw, or a pimple-like bump on the gums indicating an abscess. 

If your child shows any of these symptoms or you have any concerns, contact Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry. We will recommend the most conservative treatment option to alleviate any discomfort and restore your little one’s healthy smile. If nerve treatment is necessary, you can trust our team for quality, gentle care. 

What Are the Types of Tooth Nerve Treatments?

The two most common nerve treatments are known as pulpotomy and pulpectomy. In both cases your child will require a pediatric dental crown to seal the treated tooth and protect it from further damage. 

Pulpotomy: If the tooth has a healthy root and the damage is limited to the tip, we may recommend a pulpotomy. The procedure involves the removal of the affected pulp tip and filling the resulting space with a special medicated filling to soothe the root, protect the remaining healthy pulp, and prevent reinfection.

Pulpectomy: If the decay or damage affects the entire pulp, including the root, we may recommend a pulpectomy, a treatment similar to an adult root canal. The procedure involves removing the pulp and then disinfecting the root canals. The last step is filling the space with an inert material that can be reabsorbed when the baby tooth falls out. 

Anxiety-Free Dental Care

We will numb the area with a local anesthetic before a baby tooth nerve treatment to ensure your child feels no pain. We may also recommend dental sedation so your little one can relax during treatment. We’ll discuss the options we offer to determine the type of sedation that best suits your child’s needs. Our goal is to deliver anxiety-free dentistry for you and your child.  

Baby Root Canal Treatments Near Me in Phoenix, AZ

Visit Jet Set Smiles Pediatric Dentistry to learn more about our gentle nerve treatments designed to preserve damaged baby teeth and restore healthy smiles. Our compassionate team will spare no effort to ensure your child receives exceptional, gentle care. Call us and schedule your appointment today.