Even in young children, tooth decay can damage and infect the pulp, which leads to more involved dental care treatment. While many are familiar with a root canal, a pulpotomy is another common procedure, often performed on children. However, root canal treatment is more invasive than a pulpotomy. Here, the friendly pediatric dentists from Hawaii’s Pedodontic Associates explain the major differences between the two. 

Root Canal Treatment

A root canal treatment can save a severely damaged or decayed tooth. During this procedure, the dentist drills deep into the affected tooth to remove both the nerve and all the pulp inside it. After cleaning, disinfecting, and smoothing the hollow canal that remains, the tooth is sealed. 

Pulpotomy 

A pulpotomy is similar to root canal treatment in that it involves the removal of tooth pulp, but the procedure is not as invasive. Although the infected pulp can’t heal itself, the inflammation hasn’t reached the root system. During a pulpotomy, a dentist will only remove the coronal pulp from the pulp chamber, leaving the root pulp intact, so there is no need to follow up with cleaning, shaping, or filling the root canal system.

Pediatric dentists often perform pulpotomies on infected primary teeth that are worth saving but are not large enough to accommodate the full root canal treatment. Pulling damaged primary teeth may seem like a simpler solution since they will fall out eventually anyway, but doing so can create spacing issues when the permanent teeth grow in.

If your child has a severely decayed or damaged tooth, a pediatric dentist from Pedodontic Associates may be able to save it by performing a pulpotomy. With two offices on Oahu and one on Maui, they make it easy for children all over Hawaii to get high-quality oral health care, and they pride themselves on being one of the best children’s dentists in the area. Learn more about the comprehensive dental care services they provide by visiting their website. To make an appointment with a pediatric dentist, call the office nearest you: (808) 487-7933 for Pearlridge, (808) 735-1733 for Kahala, or (808) 877-0066 for Kahului.