Is It Safe To Perform Root Canal In Children?

Root canal treatment is the procedure of saving a severely damaged or infected tooth without having to extract it. The term “root canal” pertains to the deep cleaning of the tooth’s root. Dentists conclude that root canal in children is generally safe and must be done with utmost care. You can trust your kids’ oral health with Gordon Family Dental, they offer preventative care to make sure that your child grows with healthy teeth.
Root Canal For Children
The procedure can be performed on anyone regardless of age, from the emergence of baby teeth up to the permanent teeth. Root canal treatment in children is almost just the same as how it goes with adults. The treatment, or also known as pulpotomy proceeds by removing the infection from the diseased pulp tissue.
The reason why root canal for children is highly recommended by pediatric dentists is that it has the potential to save the infected tooth and prevent tooth loss. For instance, a saved baby tooth will help the child to maintain the functions of the tooth and keep his usual biting and chewing habit. Moreover, baby teeth play a vital role in the development of permanent teeth. Losing the baby teeth could result in several dental issues such as the defective eruption of the permanent teeth. You wouldn’t want your child to go through this because it would need continuous dental appointments and treatments which also break the bank. So you should target your child to have a healthy set of teeth.
When Do Kids Need It
Children may undergo root canal treatment if the root of their tooth is extremely damaged and infected. the reason why this occurs varies, it could be due to accident, trauma, or abscess. Kids can have a root canal treatment whether they have baby teeth or permanent teeth respectively.
Baby teeth are supposed to fall out on their own, but if they drop off earlier than they should, the child might have difficulties in speaking and biting. A root canal treatment will prevent this from happening to guarantee that the baby teeth will stay in for a specific period of time.
Preparing Children For Root Canal
Pediatric dentists are typically experienced in handling kids. But as a parent, it is your responsibility to prepare your child for their upcoming dental treatment. It’s important that they understand the importance of the procedure and how will they benefit from it.
Explain to them that the treatment will not cause them any harm and that they will be given anesthesia so that they won’t feel pain. Elaborate to them the step-by-step procedure and assure them that you will be by their side the whole time. You must also inform the dentist of your child’s health condition and if they have allergic reactions to certain medications.
Root Canal Procedure
Depending on the age of the child, the pediatric dentist will conduct an X-ray examination beforehand. This will give the dentist accurate information about the severity of the infection and the size and shape of the child’s infected teeth.
After this, your child will be given anesthesia to numb the treatment area. Children are typically put to sleep to make them more comfortable. To keep the treatment site dry and clean, a rubber dam will be placed around the tooth.
When everything is set, the infected tooth will be cleaned by removing the attached bacteria, pulp, cavity, and damaged nerve tissues. With the use of several root canal files, the tooth will be scraped and scrubbed, the dentist will then use water or sodium hypochlorite to wash away the removed particles.
The next step would be sealing the tooth. Depending on the actual condition of the tooth, the dentist might wait for a few days before sealing the treated tooth. In some cases, they opt to seal the tooth on the same day.
For permanent teeth, other treatments might be needed following the root canal procedure. Children with severe tooth decay or tooth issues might need a crown, fillings, and some restorative procedures to protect the tooth.
Any kind of dental procedure can be quite frightening most especially for children. However, they can avoid this unpleasant dental treatment if you will instil in them the importance of proper oral care. A regular dental checkup and oral care regimen will be of great help so that their teeth stay strong and healthy.