What is Pulp Therapy?
The pulp of a tooth is the inner central core
of the tooth. The pulp contains nerves, blood vessels, connective
tissue and reparative cells. The purpose of pulp therapy in Pediatric
Dentistry is to maintain the vitality of the affected tooth (so the tooth is
not lost).
Dental caries (cavities) and traumatic injury
are the main reasons for a tooth to require pulp therapy. Pulp therapy
is often referred to as a "nerve treatment", "children's root canal", "pulpectomy"
or "pulpotomy". The two common forms of pulp therapy in children's
teeth are the pulpotomy and pulpectomy.
A pulpotomy removes the diseased pulp tissue
within the crown portion of the tooth. Next, an agent is placed to
prevent bacterial growth and to calm the remaining nerve tissue. This
is followed by a final restoration (usually a stainless steel crown).
A pulpectomy is required when the entire pulp
is involved (into the root canal(s) of the tooth). During this
treatment, the diseased pulp tissue is completely removed from both the
crown and root. The canals are cleansed, disinfected and in the case
of primary teeth, filled with a resorbable material. Then a final
restoration is placed. A permanent tooth would be filled with a non-resorbing
material.
|
