5 Baby Tooth Root Canal Myths Debunked Written By: Dr. Ankita Shah, December 2019
“Root Canals!! Does my Child need one? Do children really undergo root canals? They Must Be Painful!!" There may be umpteen numbers of questions in your mind when your child needs one. One in ten kids require a root canal. It is that common a procedure. These procedures are absolutely painless when performed with the latest technology under appropriate local anesthesia.
#1 WHAT IS A BABY ROOT CANAL?
Baby root canals are not as complicated as adult root canals and are usually completed in a single visit. When a cavity has reached the nerve of the baby tooth, a root canal treatment is performed. It involves removing the infected nerve and placing a medicated material over it. The tooth is then restored with a crown i.e. a cap to protect the tooth from fracturing.
#2 WHEN IS A ROOT CANAL DONE?
If a tooth is severely decayed such that a cavity has gone too far and reached the tooth’s nerve is when a root canal treatment is performed. Pain in the tooth is often an indicator that the infection has reached the nerves. A root canal treatment is a way of saving a tooth by removing the infection from the root of the tooth.
#3 ARE BABY TOOTH ROOT CANALS NECESSARY FOR CHILDREN? WHY SAVE A MILK TOOTH WHEN IT IS GOING TO FALL?
You must be wondering why should you save the tooth if it’s going to last only for a couple of years. Saving a child’s tooth is just as important as saving a permanent tooth. An early loss of a baby tooth can interfere with chewing, speech development and alignment of permanent teeth. If a tooth is lost early, the adjoining teeth will drift into that space and close the gap leading to crooked teeth. Also if an infected milk tooth is left untreated the infection can spread downwards and cause early cavities and weak spots in a permanent tooth. Hence salvaging a baby tooth is as critical as saving a permanent tooth.
#4 ARE ROOT CANALS SAFE FOR KIDS?
Root canals are absolutely safe for your children and do not cause any harm to the body.
#5 WILL THE NEXT TOOTH COME?
Root canals in baby teeth are filled with a material that resorbs with the tooth. This doesn’t affect the permanent tooth from erupting. As a matter of fact we are protecting your permanent tooth from the damage caused by the infection of the milk tooth.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends the first dental visit for should coincide with the first birthday. 6 monthly check-ups can help your dentist catch hold off cavities at an earlier stage before they get worse. If teeth requiring root canals are left untreated, infections can spread leading to formation of pus boils. Hence if tooth can be saved, a root canal is the most advisable and wise treatment option to choose.
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Keywords : baby root canal, baby root canal and crown, are baby root canals necessary
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