Saving a decayed or injured tooth is important to a child’s speech development, chewing and alignment of permanent teeth. When pulp tissue —the nerves, tissue, and blood vessels in the core of a primary or permanent tooth— becomes diseased, some or all of the pulp may need to be removed. This procedure is known as children’s root canal therapy or pulp therapy.

• Pulpotomy. If the disease has not gone into the root, the diseased pulp is removed and the remaining pulp is filled with an antibacterial agent.
• Pulpectomy. When the pulp is diseased into the root canal, the entire pulp is removed and the roots are cleaned.

A stainless steel or natural-colored crown is placed on the treated tooth to provide structural support.