Pulpectomy
If the infection involves tissue in both the tooth crown and the tooth root, a pulpectomy may be the best option. In a pulpectomy, the entire pulp material is removed from both the crown and the roots.
After numbing the child’s tooth, the dentist will remove the pulp and nerve tissue from the crown and from the canals of the roots. Then the pulp chamber and root canals will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Next, the dentist will fill the tooth and tooth roots with a dental cement, and finish with a stainless steel crown.
Crowns
Crowns are “cemented” onto an existing tooth and fully cover the portion of the tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes the tooth’s new outer surface.
Stainless steel dental crowns are considered a good temporary restoration to save a primary tooth until the permanent tooth can erupt and take its place. Keeping the primary tooth if at all possible is very important.
A primary tooth can be restored with a stainless steel crown during one appointment. A crowned tooth must be brushed and flossed just like other teeth.