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The “pulp” of a tooth cannot be seen with the naked eye. Pulp is found at the center of each tooth, and is comprised of nerves, tissue, and many blood vessels, which work to channel vital nutrients and oxygen. There are several ways in which pulp can be damaged. Most commonly in children, tooth decay or traumatic injury lead to painful pulp exposure and inflammation.

Pulp therapy is known by several other names, including: root canal, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, and nerve treatment. The primary goal of pulp therapy is to treat, restore, and save the affected tooth.

Dentists perform pulp therapy on both primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Though primary teeth are eventually shed, they are needed for speech production, proper chewing, and to guide the proper alignment and spacing of permanent teeth.

What are the signs of pulp injury and infection?

Inflamed or injured pulp is exceptionally painful. Even if the source of the pain isn’t visible, it will quickly become obvious that the child needs to see the dentist.

Here are some of the other signs to look for:

1. Constant unexplained pain.
2. Nighttime pain.
3. Sensitivity to warm and cool food temperatures.
4. Swelling or redness around the affected tooth.
5. Unexpected looseness or mobility of the affected tooth.

Every situation is unique. The dentist assesses the age of the child, the positioning of the tooth, and the general health of the child before making a recommendation to extract the tooth or to save it via pulp therapy.

Some of the undesirable consequences of prematurely extracted/missing teeth are listed below:

1. Arch length may shorten.
2. In the case of primary tooth loss, permanent teeth may lack sufficient space to emerge.
3. Opposing teeth may grow in a protruding or undesirable way.
4. Premolars may become painfully impacted.
5. Remaining teeth may “move” to fill the gap.
6. The tongue may posture abnormally.

Initially, the dentist will perform visual examinations and evaluate X-rays of the affected areas. The amount and location of pulp damage dictates the nature of the treatment. Although there are several other treatments available, the pulpotomy and pulpectomy procedures are among the most common performed.