Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurposeRisksBefore the ProcedureDuring the ProcedureAfter the Procedure
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose
Risks
Before the Procedure
During the Procedure
After the Procedure
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Purpose of Pulpotomy
If your child complains of pain when cold, hot, or sweet things touch their tooth or teeth, it may mean that they have pulpitis. Pulpitis is the inflammation of the pulp and its main cause isuntreated cavities(tooth decay). Thistooth sensitivityis usually the first sign that your child may have caries.
Your healthcare provider will recommend that your child undergo a pulpotomy if, upondental examination, it is discovered that your child has caries (tooth decay) that has affected the pulp in the crown.
Although much less common, a pulpotomy can also be done when your child has sustained serious physical trauma to the tooth. A pulpotomy is usually done so that the tooth and pulp in the root of the tooth can be preserved.
Literally, “pulpotomy” translates to “to cut the pulp.” However, in the medical community, a pulpotomy is used to refer to the entire procedure, including the filling of the space the pulp was removed from with special medication.
A pulpotomy should not be mixed up with a pulpectomy. The latter is performed when your child’s tooth decay has extended past the pulp in the crown to the pulp in the root of the tooth (radicular pulp).
What to Do When Your Child Has a Cavity
Risks and Contraindications
A pulpotomy is a very safe procedure and there are no serious risks associated with it. Pulpotomies should not be performed if the pulp in the root (the radicular pulp) is not vital. That means that the pulp there should not be infected and should still be healthy at the time of the procedure.
Here is how to prepare:
At least one parent will be able to stay with the child during the procedure.
Throughout the Procedure
The area around the tooth will be numbed with a topical anesthetic, then a local anesthetic will then be injected. Alternatively, your child may be sedated. The option chosen is usually up to the discretion of the healthcare provider.
Once the roof of the pulp is drilled through, it will bleed. This shows that the pulp is still healthy. If the pulp chamber is filled with pus or it’s empty and dry, then the dentist cannot continue with the pulpotomy. They must then either perform a pulpectomy or tooth extraction.
The coronal pulp will then be removed/excavated. When this is done, wet cotton swabs or pellets will be used to stop the bleeding and clean the area. Ideally, this bleeding should stop within a minute or two, or tops five. Different dentists have their own time limits.
Once the bleeding stops, then the radicular pulp (what of it that can be seen) is treated and covered with special medication. This medication is usually either formocresol, ferric sulfate, or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
Your dentist may also opt to use laser treatment in place of medications to treat the pulp as pulpotomies done with lasers have very high success rates.
After this is done, the pulp chamber of the tooth is sealed with zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) or some other base. The tooth is then restored. This is usually done with astainless steel crown.
Post-Procedure
Your child may experience some pain and/or swelling after the procedure. The healthcare provider will likely prescribe pain medication to help with this.
Other Considerations
Adult Pulpotomy
A Word From Verywell
It’s natural to be worried whenever your child is about to undergo any medical procedure. However, rest assured that a pulpotomy is practically a risk-free procedure. Your child will be up and active once the anesthesia or sedative used during the procedure wears off. If you have any questions or concerns, remember that it is important to discuss these with your dentist, who should be able to answer these in order to make you more comfortable with the idea of the procedure.
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4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Pulpitis.American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.Guideline on pulp therapy for primary and immature permanent teeth.Gupta G, Rana V, Srivastava N, Chandna P.Laser pulpotomy-an effective alternative to conventional techniques: A 12 months clinicoradiographic study.Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2015;8(1):18-21. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1277Asgary S, Verma P, Nosrat A.Treatment outcomes of full pulpotomy as an alternative to tooth extraction in molars with hyperplastic/irreversible pulpitis: A case report.Iran Endod J. 2017;12(2):261–265. doi:10.22037/iej.2017.51
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Pulpitis.American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.Guideline on pulp therapy for primary and immature permanent teeth.Gupta G, Rana V, Srivastava N, Chandna P.Laser pulpotomy-an effective alternative to conventional techniques: A 12 months clinicoradiographic study.Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2015;8(1):18-21. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1277Asgary S, Verma P, Nosrat A.Treatment outcomes of full pulpotomy as an alternative to tooth extraction in molars with hyperplastic/irreversible pulpitis: A case report.Iran Endod J. 2017;12(2):261–265. doi:10.22037/iej.2017.51
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Pulpitis.American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.Guideline on pulp therapy for primary and immature permanent teeth.Gupta G, Rana V, Srivastava N, Chandna P.Laser pulpotomy-an effective alternative to conventional techniques: A 12 months clinicoradiographic study.Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2015;8(1):18-21. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1277Asgary S, Verma P, Nosrat A.Treatment outcomes of full pulpotomy as an alternative to tooth extraction in molars with hyperplastic/irreversible pulpitis: A case report.Iran Endod J. 2017;12(2):261–265. doi:10.22037/iej.2017.51
Merck Manual Professional Version.Pulpitis.
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.Guideline on pulp therapy for primary and immature permanent teeth.
Gupta G, Rana V, Srivastava N, Chandna P.Laser pulpotomy-an effective alternative to conventional techniques: A 12 months clinicoradiographic study.Int J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2015;8(1):18-21. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1277
Asgary S, Verma P, Nosrat A.Treatment outcomes of full pulpotomy as an alternative to tooth extraction in molars with hyperplastic/irreversible pulpitis: A case report.Iran Endod J. 2017;12(2):261–265. doi:10.22037/iej.2017.51
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