Understanding Pediatric Root Canal Procedures

A pediatric root canal is one of the most common procedures that a dentist may have to perform on a child. It often has the stigma that it is uncomfortable or highly involved, but in reality, a pediatric root canal can be simple and pain-free.

If your child needs a root canal, they may feel nervous about the procedure. Understanding what to expect and what the practitioner will do can help ease these worries and prepare them (and you) for the realities of a root canal.

What to know about a pediatric root canal

A pediatric root canal is the standard method for addressing decay that has reached the inner chamber of a tooth. Things to keep in mind if a root canal is in a child’s future include the following.

Patients should not wait to get a pediatric root canal

A root canal is a treatment for decay that is impacting a tooth’s pulp chamber, where the sensitive blood vessels are housed. Due to this, getting a root canal should be a high priority, before infection and inflammation spread further. Failure to get a root canal in a timely manner can leave the body open to other conditions, such as abscesses, that are harder to treat.

Many root canal procedures relieve the pain caused by these conditions, which is typically not adequately addressed by over-the-counter medicine and can make it hard for a child to sleep or concentrate. Therefore, treating a root canal is an important responsibility.

It is a permanent solution

Since a practitioner will remove the contents of the pulp chamber and any decayed material when performing a root canal, this procedure is considered a permanent solution to the decay affecting the tooth. A root canal rarely leads to further treatment because the tooth’s pulp chamber no longer contains living tissue after the process is complete. Instead, it is filled with a biocompatible, tooth-like material to keep the tooth strong.

It is an outpatient procedure

A root canal can be done in a practitioner’s office. The child can return to their normal routine the same day or the day after (if they would like to rest).

The dentist begins by drilling into the tooth, as with a dental filling. However, in this case, they access the tooth’s inner chamber. Next, they remove the material inside using a specialized tool. Once the interior of the tooth is cleaned, they insert a compound called gutta-percha, which fills the now vacant pulp chamber so the tooth is not hollow and brittle. Finally, the dentist fills the hole just as they would a filling, then smooths the tooth’s surface to create a seamless result.