If you remember a root canal being painful, awkward and time-consuming, it is easy to assume that the same will be true when your young son or daughter needs one. Fortunately, the differences in dental structure and development between early childhood and adulthood, as explained below, typically allow for a less complicated root canal for young children. It will also be helpful to remember that a root canal may be known as non-vital pulp therapy and that recent advances have allowed root canals to be virtually painless for many patients.

#1-The Goal With Your Root Canal Is To Save The Tooth...That Is Not Always True With Your Child's Procedure

Due to the age of your child, saving the tooth is not always a priority, since it is likely to fall out within the few years. Since you will not be getting any more teeth, the dentist will usually need to take more invasive steps to allow your damaged tooth to stay usable for many years.

The differences in those goals rapidly become obvious when you notice that your pediatric dental professional may be able to complete the work that your child needs in a single visit. That is often possible because some children's teeth will not need the support provided by a crown that an adult's tooth would, so it may not be necessary. Instead, kids often do well by simply having the tooth filled, which will usually allow the tooth to maintain its strength and spot in the gums.

The filling will simply be absorbed with the root, when your child loses the tooth itself. As a result, your child's adult tooth is more likely to grow in the appropriate spot, since the crown will not be there to prevent its development.

#2-If Your Root Canal Fails, You May Be Able To Get An Implant...Your Child May Need A Spacer

Although almost 97% of adult root canals are successful, as are the majority of root canals, sometimes they do fail. In that instance, many adults have chosen to have the tooth pulled and replaced with an implant. However, that is rarely appropriate for a child's tooth, since an implant will be there permanently and a child's undeveloped jaw will not be able to support it.

Since missing primary teeth often allow the existing teeth to move out of space, simply extracting the affected tooth is not a good idea. Instead, your child's dental care provider may suggest removing the tooth and using a spacer to save the space. This item looks like a retainer and can be made of plastic or stainless steel. In some instances, the spacer can be removable.

In conclusion, it is important to understand the differences between your root canal and the dental experience that your son or daughter will soon have. By doing so, you can make it a bit easier for your child to get through.