We often place fillings to help treat childhood tooth decay, but what if a tooth becomes infected or develops a painful abscess? A filling isn’t enough, but is there another option to prevent tooth extraction? With a conservative alternative to a root canal known as a pulpotomy, your Round Rock, TX, pediatric dentist can help stop infection!

The Causes and Risks of Dental Infection

Children could develop an infected tooth when issues like tooth decay or possibly an injury to the tooth itself exposes the sensitive inner tissues to bacteria. As the resulting decay spreads and reaches the pulp, the living tissues that keep your tooth alive and functional, this could lead to an infection or abscess. Unless treated, the tooth could become prematurely lost. Losing a baby tooth really could alter how the permanent teeth erupt, and in turn lead to the onset of dental misalignment. However, with a pulpotomy, our team can treat infection in your child’s smile!

The Pulpotomy Procedure

If your little one attends regular checkup and cleaning visits, we will identify factors in the earliest stages. Otherwise, you may know your little one needs care until he or she complains about pain in the smile when they eat and bite down. If we examine the smile and find an infection, we will administer a numbing agent to ensure your little one is comfortable and relaxed. We then open the tooth to remove the infected portions of the inner pulp. We add a special medicated material, and then cap the tooth with a custom-made dental crown. We could use stainless steel or even a lifelike porcelain. The procedure could take as little as one visit, and helps keep your child’s smile whole and healthy.

Keeping Little Smiles Safe

We also recommend parents take steps to help safeguard their children’s smiles. For example, make sure they’re brushing properly first thing in the morning, and doing so again at night. A fluoride toothpaste is helpful as it keeps the enamel strong. Flossing is also important every evening. Help your children avoid sugary foods and drinks, and instead enjoy healthy snacks and plenty of water. Make time to see us for a checkup and cleaning too, so we monitor the health of the smile and regularly remove harmful plaque buildup.

If you have any questions about how we treat an infected tooth, or if your child complains about persistent pain in their smile, then contact our team today!

Pediatric Dentistry Of Round Rock Provides Restorative Care for Kids

Pediatric Dentistry Of Round Rock is ready to help your child avoid the major complications of an infected or abscessed tooth. To find out more about how we treat infected teeth and stop decay, then contact your Round Rock, TX, pediatric dentist, Dr. Thames, by calling 512-733-5311.