Root Canal Therapy For Kids

The retention of baby teeth is so important to the development of your child’s growing mouth and the way his or her adult teeth will come in. Because of this, we here at Firestone Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics will do all we can to keep the baby teeth intact. For baby teeth with extensive decay or infection, this can sometimes include root canal therapy.

Why Root Canals Are Performed

If your child’s tooth has been chipped or cracked, or if he or she is experiencing sensitivity and pain in a tooth, we may need to utilize root canal therapy. This is because these symptoms can be signs of extensive tooth decay or a dental cavity that has gone untreated long enough that it’s reached the tooth’s pulp. Once this happens, a root canal will be performed and a crown will be placed on the affected tooth in order to avoid further damage.

How a Pediatric Root Canal Is Different

A pediatric root canal will be done more quickly and pain-free than adult root canals. This is because, unlike adult root canals, a root canal performed on your child only removed the surface nerve structure. This means the dentist will not need any special instruments to detach the pulp from the roots of the tooth.

Once root canal therapy has been performed on your child, it’s important to improve your at-home oral hygiene habits. You should be helping your child to brush twice a day for two minutes at a time, with fluoride toothpaste. Your child should also be flossing at least once a day and visiting our office every six months for a checkup and dental cleaning.

If your child is showing signs of needing a root canal, please don’t hesitate to contact Firestone Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. Our office is located in Firestone, Colorado.