Helping Your Child Recover from a Baby Root Canal

A baby root canal may be required if the decay affecting a tooth has reached the nerve or if a tooth chip exposes the nerves. If the child has gone through the procedure, you want to do your best as a parent to alleviate discomfort and promote recovery. In this article, you will find tips on how to help a child recover following a baby root canal procedure.

A baby root canal

Due to the importance of baby teeth, the pediatric dentist recommends saving the teeth instead of extracting them prematurely. Therefore, a pediatric root canal is a treatment option for saving a baby tooth that is affected by severe decay. For children, the dental specialist performs pulpotomy, which only requires removing the infected pulp chamber.

For most of the procedure, there is no need to employ special tools to remove the pulp from tooth roots because they will only remove the surface nerve structure in the pulp chamber. This makes the root canal procedure easier and significantly less painful for children. The dental specialist will also administer local anesthetic to numb the tooth. After completing the root canal, the dentist will place a dental crown on the tooth immediately to protect the weakened tooth.

Helping a child with recovery after root canal

Like any dental procedure or treatment, there is a recovery period after the root canal treatment. Fortunately, a baby root canal is no more complicated or invasive than having a dental filling. Teeth sensitivity is normal in the first few days after the procedure. The child will recover quickly, though the dentist will provide additional instructions to aid the process. The following are tips for handling post-procedure symptoms.

Pain: The child may experience slight soreness or discomfort following the root canal procedure. Fortunately, most of the kids who undergo the treatment can also alleviate pain by using over-the-counter pain relievers meant specifically for children. Parents need to use the medications according to the directions. If they have additional questions about the right meds to use, they can ask the pediatric dentist for answers and recommendations.

Signs of infection: If the child develops severe swelling, pain, a gum pocket full of pus or a fever, there could be an infection. In that case, parents must take their children to the dentist immediately for examination and treatment.

Oral care

The baby root canal procedure requires no incision or stitches, so parents do not have to worry about being cautious when brushing or flossing. The child can brush and floss their teeth as usual. They must adopt a good oral hygiene routine to maintain a healthy smile after undergoing a root canal. This will help prevent future dental infections. Follow-up visits to the dental office are also important.

Final note

The material used for the baby root canal is biocompatible and will not affect the eruption of the child’s permanent teeth. If you have additional questions about your child’s healing and recovery progress after the procedure, contact the pediatric dentist.

Request an appointment here: https://www.hvkidsmiles.com or call Hudson Valley Pediatric Dentistry at (845) 363-4177 for an appointment in our Middletown office.

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