Excellent dental care is essential throughout your child’s entire life. However, there are times when your child needs care that goes beyond what a dentist can give. At Southwest Endodontics, we offer pediatric endodontics Geneva IL, and Orland Park IL locations.
Pediatric Endodontics
When Your Child Needs Pediatric Endodontic Care
Dentists fix problems with the exterior of teeth, such as small cavities that need fillings or cleanings. However, your child will need an endodontist if they have issues inside the roots of their teeth.
An endodontist has all the same training as a dentist before they begin their specialty training. Over an additional two or three years, they learn expert techniques to treat problems associated with the pulp and roots of the teeth. They also know advanced ways to keep their patients comfortable and pain-free during procedures.
If your child has any of the following concerns that impact the tooth roots and nerves, bring them to Southwest Endodontics for an exam and treatment.
They Crack a Tooth
Kids move fast, and accidents can happen. Cracked teeth can let infectious germs inside the root canals that could cause serious problems. Endodontists have training in removing bacteria from the nerve and pulp tissue of the tooth.
An endodontist can help to save a cracked tooth through a variety of different methods.
Schedule a consultation today to see what procedures can save your child’s cracked teeth Orland Park IL.
Their Dentist Recommends Endodontic Treatment
Sometimes, a dentist will recognize that a child has complex tooth anatomy or needs specialist care. Take your dentist’s referral seriously. They think your child needs care for the interior of a tooth to help save it from premature loss.
They Have Trouble Eating Hot or Cold Foods
If your child suddenly stops eating ice cream or drinking cold drinks due to pain, they may have an infection inside their tooth that needs endodontic care. Heightened sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods could signal that your child may need a pulpotomy or baby root canal. The only way to know for certain is to bring them for an evaluation by an endodontist.
They Experience Severe Dental Pain
Serious dental pain that does not go away is another sign that your child has something wrong with the inside of a tooth. Endodontists have pain control training to help them make treating the sensitive areas inside your child’s tooth as painless as they can. Therefore, going to the endodontist won’t cause your child any more pain. Instead, they’ll stop feeling tooth pain after treatment from their endodontist.
Pediatric Endodontics Treatments We Offer
At Southwest Endodontics, our team knows how to care for kids and their teeth. Children’s teeth require different approaches to care compared to adult teeth. Your child may require endodontic treatments not typically given to adults. Our endodontists will help you to understand the options for your child’s treatment. We’re here to help your child preserve their baby teeth until the time when they naturally fall out. We also will help them keep their adult teeth. Pediatric endodontic treatments often prevent the need for extracting teeth.
Pulpotomy or “Baby Root Canal” for Young Children
When a child has a problem with the pulp inside a tooth, endodontists typically do not perform full root canals on them. Instead, they offer what some call a “baby root canal” or a pulpotomy.
A pulpotomy does not remove as much material from inside the tooth as a root canal. Instead, it only takes out the pulp from the crown and leaves behind the healthy root.
The endodontist needs to take x-rays to determine the need for a pulpotomy. During the procedure, the doctor numbs the area around the affected tooth. To clear the decay from the tooth and remove the infected pulp in the crown, the endodontist drills into the tooth. They take out the pulp from the crown and seal up the tooth. This procedure retains the tooth and its root and is less invasive than a root canal, making it a preferred option for treating severely decayed baby teeth.
Root Canals for Teens
Pediatrics covers all ages, from infants through teenagers, so you can still bring your teens to Southwest Endodontics for care. Teens who have adult teeth may need root canals to treat deep decay. A root canal differs from a pulpotomy in the amount of material removed from the tooth.
First, the endodontist injects local anesthesia, which numbs the site and stops the pain. They then remove the entire contents of the root canals, including the whole pulp and nerve.This takes out the inflamed tissue that causes the serious pain your teen felt before going to the endodontist. The doctor seals and fills the tooth to finish the procedure.
Teens who have root canals may require endodontic retreatment near Chicago if they have continued decay that re-infects the treated tooth. Therefore, make sure that they keep up with good dental practices at home.
Apexogenesis or Apexification to Save an Injured Tooth
Your child’s adult teeth are not fully developed as soon as they erupt. They will continue to grow roots to meet the tooth’s needs. In some teeth, the tip of the tooth inside the gums, called the apex, is still open during root development. Since these teeth are still in a growing phase, they are not as strong as fully developed teeth and cannot have treatment that would seal the tips off.
Injuries to adult teeth with immature roots require special types of endodontic treatment to ensure that the teeth continue to grow properly. Apexogenesis and apexification are two options our endodontists may use to save your child’s tooth after a traumatic injury.
Apexogenesis uses medications that promote pulp and root growth inside the tooth when an injury has exposed the pulp. The endodontist inserts the medication into the tooth to seal and help the tooth heal. Over time, the open apex end of the tooth will naturally close.
Apexification is an alternative procedure that the endodontist may use if damage or decay has stopped the root from growing. Consequently, using medications to encourage root growth will not work. Instead, the endodontist cleans the infected pulp from the tooth and places medication inside the tooth. This medicine prompts the tissues at the apex of the tooth to harden and seal the tooth’s tip. Since the tooth did not fully develop its roots or root canals, it will be weaker than the surrounding teeth. Make sure to follow up with your child’s dentist to have appropriate restoration work done on the tooth to protect it.
See Us at Southwest Endodontics for Pediatric Endodontics Orland Park IL and Geneva IL Parents Prefer for Their Kids
Trust your child and their teeth with our team of friendly endodontists. We have two locations for your convenience, Orland Park and Geneva. Let us help your child to save their baby teeth with pediatric endodontics treatments using our Gentlewave technology. Schedule your visit today at either of our Southwest Endodontics locations.