Understanding Pulpotomy

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Understanding Pulpotomy
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Table of Content

• What is Pulpotomy?
• When is a Pulpotomy Required?
• Differences between a Pulpotomy and a Root Canal
• Post Procedure Care of the Child

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• Going to the dentist is something even
  adults sometimes fear. However, for children the
  fears are confounded by the fact that they are
  vulnerable in the hands of a stranger and the
  unfamiliar environment can seem very
  disheartening. Since adults have to take care of
  childrens teeth, it can sometimes take some time
  before responding to emergency dental situations
  and this is where pulpotomy comes in.

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What is Pulpotomy?

• Loosely, defined, pulpotomy is the process
  of performing a root canal on children.
  Childrens dental formula is vastly different
  from an adults in that most of their teeth are
  still milk teeth and their gums are still
  forming. Therefore, they require a different set
  of procedures separate from what an adult root
  canal would compromise. The procedure restores
  infected teeth in children, and unlike adult root
  canals, pulpotomy doesnt require the full
  removal of the teeth after infection.

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When is a Pulpotomy Required?

• In children, the flesh inside the gums and
  tooth is still quite supple and fresh and this is
  why it is referred to as a pulp. Since the pulp
  is full of nerves it can cause a lot of
  discomfort if it becomes infected thereby
  affecting the childs capacity to eat or even
  brush their teeth. Infection can occur quite fast
  and there is a need to quickly arrest the
  infection before it can affect other soft tissues
  in the mouth.
• When a child complains of pain or extra
  sensitivity to the teeth or a particular tooth
  when its cold, it could mean they are suffering
  from pulpitis, which is basically inflammation of
  the pulp. When this occurs, the child has to be
  taken to a pediatrician to identify the root
  cause of the problem so that treatments can
  commence immediately. In the event where the
  infection is irreversible, then the pediatric
  dentist would have to perform a full root canal
  or a tooth extraction to remove the infected
  tooth and allow adult tooth or teeth to grow
  later.

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Differences between a Pulpotomy and a Root Canal

• Though the pulpotomy is sometimes referred to
  as a baby root canal, there are some vast
  differences between the two. During a root canal,
  all the pulp inside the childs tooth is removed
  and replaced with a synthetic rubber. On the
  other hand, during a pulpotomy, only the infected
  parts of the pulp are removed and the tooth is
  then disinfected to prevent further spread of the
  infection. This preserves the childs tooth
  enough for new nerves to form and this result in
  a healthy development of milk teeth up until
  adult teeth grow to take their place.

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Post Procedure Care of the Child

• Since the procedure is painful, the child
  would require some painkillers to deal with the
  pain. There is also a likelihood of swelling
  around the gums where the procedure was done.
  Parents are advised to refrain from giving their
  children cold or hot meals after a pulpotomy as
  this could aggravate the pain. The child should
  also refrain from eating sticky foods or sweet in
  the duration of their healing.

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• Business Name Desert Kids Dental
• Address 9859 W Deer Springs Way STE 110, Las
  Vegas, NV 89149
• Phone Number 702-660-7099
• Business Hours Mon-Thurs 8am-5pm / Friday
  8am-12pm
• Website https//www.desertkidsdental.com/services
  /puplotomy