Protect And Restore Infected Teeth
Need a pediatric dentist for a root canal in Muscatine? Dr. Jarod is here to help. At Arctic Dental, our team can help you restore your child’s tooth and preserve it for years to come. If your little one has been complaining about a sore tooth, contact us today to get an appointment with Dr. Jarod today, and make sure they get the help they need!
Request an Appointment for Your Child Today. Call 563-607-5979
Why Would My Child Need A Root Canal?
Root canal therapy is a necessity for adult teeth that become infected. Tooth infections happen when your child’s enamel is damaged by a large, untreated cavity, or by dental trauma like a slip and fall that cracks and damages the tooth structure.
When the outer layers of the tooth are destroyed, the interior “pulp” is exposed. The pulp contains blood vessels and nerves that keep the tooth alive. Because of this, tooth infections will eventually kill the tooth without proper treatment.
Root canal therapy from Dr. Jarod at Arctic Dental will ensure that your child’s tooth can be restored quickly, and that they can get relief from the pain and discomfort of an infected tooth.
The Root Canal Process
The process of root canal therapy is quite simple to understand. First, Dr. Jarod will clean your child’s mouth and numb the treatment area to ensure their comfort during the procedure.
Next, he will use a dental drill to trim away any damaged tooth material, and to create a small hole in the tooth. Through this opening, Dr. Jarod will extract the infected and damaged pulp. Once the inside of the tooth has been cleaned, it’s flushed with disinfectant. Then, the tooth is filled with an inert substance that replaces the extracted pulp, supporting the tooth and keeping it strong.
Lastly, the tooth is protected with a filling or a temporary crown. If your child gets a temporary crown, they will need to come back to our office to have a permanent, custom-fitted crown for their tooth. Dental crowns are usually the best way to restore damaged teeth, since they provide superior protection.
How to Prepare Your Child for a Root Canal
Communicate & Stay Positive – First and foremost, you need to avoid appearing anxious or speaking negatively about the dentist in front of your child. Many children are nervous or have dental anxiety when it comes to routine dental visits, let alone restorative treatment.
Help your child feel comfortable and positive by reassuring them that they will feel better after the appointment. Explain to them in child-friendly terms what a root canal is. Avoid using words like “drill” or “needle”.
Instead, tell them that the dentist is going to remove the infection and make their tooth healthy again so that they can feel comfortable and they will be given antibiotics to treat pain.
Ask Questions – To properly prepare for a root canal and understand what to expect, you should ask the dentist if there is anything that your child needs to do to prepare beforehand. The dentist will provide you with instructions as well as tips that can help reduce anxiety and discomfort. Ask if the dentist can make any accommodations for your child if they have anxiety or special needs.
Inform the Dentist of Allergies – A root canal can involve the administration of various medicines for pain relief, sedation, and antibiotics to treat symptoms of the infection. Dr. Jarod needs to know if your child has any allergies and if they currently take any other medications that could interfere with these medications.
Know What to Eat – Your child should be prepared to alter their eating habits slightly immediately following their root canal treatment. The dentist may also ask them to avoid certain foods before the treatment.
Aftercare for Root Canals
Depending on if they are being sedated, your child might need to fast for a certain amount of time before their appointment. Otherwise, they will generally be advised to avoid hard, fried, and sugary foods before the procedure.
After the appointment, your child should not eat or drink hot liquids until the anesthetic wears off to prevent accidental oral injury. When their mouth is no longer numb, they can eat. However, your child may have temporary tooth sensitivity and should avoid hot and cold foods at extreme temperatures.
Your child can brush and floss like normal but may want to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth to help with these temporary symptoms of sensitivity and tenderness. In the first 24 hours following a root canal, we recommend sticking to mostly soft or liquid foods to avoid irritation.
Avoid hard foods for 1 to 2 days and tell your child to chew on the opposite side of their mouth. If your child experiences discomfort, they can take anti-inflammatory pain medication in an age-appropriate dose. It’s important to keep their mouth free of bacteria so in the first few days to a week following their root canal, they should rinse their mouth with a saline solution a few times a day.
Does My Child Need a Pulpotomy or a Root Canal?
Pulpotomies and root canals are both restorative treatments performed on infected teeth to restore them to health. However, there are a few differences. A pulpotomy is a treatment that is typically only performed on baby teeth.
This treatment is often referred to as a “baby root canal” because it is like a less invasive root canal performed on baby teeth. The difference, however, is that a pulpotomy can only treat a tooth when the infection is isolated in the crown of the tooth.
Once the infection spreads to the roots, a root canal will be necessary. A pulpotomy is only partial removal of the pulp because we only remove the infected crown portion of the pulp, but leave the roots intact.
A special medication is applied to protect the existing pulp from infection. Then, the tooth is filled and may receive a dental crown. In a root canal, we remove all of the tooth’s pulp, including the roots in something called a pulpectomy. Then, the tooth’s canals are thoroughly cleaned and shaped.
This can take some time because a tooth can have 1 to 4 canals. Then, we will the tooth with gutta-percha and may place a crown on top. Root canals are performed on permanent teeth and more serious infections in baby teeth. If you think your child has a tooth infection, contact us at Arctic Dental today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Jarod.
Making Your Child Comfortable During Treatment
Dr. Jarod uses a fun, informative approach to dentistry, and has years of experience in pediatric behavioral management techniques that can help your child feel safe and in control throughout their entire appointment. This helps them feel more relaxed and comfortable.
Your child’s mouth will also be totally numb during the appointment, which means they will feel absolutely no pain or discomfort. Despite what you may have heard, root canals are not a painful procedure. Discomfort after treatment is minimal, too, and will go away within a few days.
We also offer sedation dentistry for kids. We have a full range of different levels of sedation, from minimal inhaled sedation to oral conscious sedation and general anesthesia. To learn more and see which method of sedation may be right for your little one, contact the team at Arctic Dental right away.