The inside of the tooth is where the live nerves and tissue are located. When decay, trauma or infection impacts the interior of a tooth, it can damage and irritate the nerve roots. Root canals, or endodontics, repair severely damaged or infected teeth, removing the pulp and nerve roots from inside the tooth. As part of our pediatric dental services at Harlandale Kids Dental, we offer root canals for kids with infected teeth at our dental center in San Antonio, TX.
Root canal therapy is often the only way to save an infected tooth. If the tooth’s interior is diseased, it can be very painful and not something you want your child to endure. There are two options with most infected teeth – extraction or root canals. An extraction will stop the tooth pain, but it is not desirable for primary or permanent teeth. While the baby teeth will fall out, they are important for chewing, speaking and appearance. They also guide the permanent teeth into the correct position. Removing a baby tooth too early could impact the position of the emerging adult tooth underneath.
In many cases, our dentists will recommend root canals for infected baby teeth that will not fall out soon. This can allow natural tooth development to occur, which can benefit your child’s oral health.
Pain Relief for Infected Teeth
A toothache is often the first sign of an infected tooth. With root canal therapy, our dentist will numb the tooth completely and carefully clean the diseased pulp and nerve roots out of the canals. Once the tooth’s interior is disinfected, it is repacked and sealed. A dental crown may be recommended to protect the weakened tooth, creating a stronger biting surface.
Once a root canal is performed, the nerve is gone, and your child should not experience the same tooth pain. The area around the tooth may be a little sore, but we will provide instructions to minimize any discomfort for your child.
Root canal therapy can end infected tooth pain and save teeth from extraction. Contact us right away at Harlandale Kids Dental if your child has a severe toothache. We can schedule an emergency dental appointment to determine the cause of the pain. If needed, we can perform a filling, tooth repair, root canal or tooth extraction at our dental center in San Antonio, TX.