Pulpotomy

If your child complains of pain when cold, hot, or sweet things touch their tooth or teeth, it may mean that they have pulpitis. Pulpitis is the inflammation of the pulp and its main cause is untreated cavities (tooth decay). This tooth sensitivity is usually the first sign that your child may have caries.

Your doctor will recommend that your child undergo a pulpotomy if, upon dental examination, it is discovered that your child has caries (tooth decay) that has affected the pulp in the crown.

It is also done when the tooth decay is so close to the pulp in the crown that removing the decay will expose the pulp. This examination can either be by physical examination of the tooth or by X-ray.

If it is discovered that your child has irreversible pulpitis caused by tooth decay—where the pulp in the tooth is severely damaged—then a pulpotomy will not be performed. Instead, your child will have to undergo a pulpectomy or tooth extraction.

Although much less common, a pulpotomy can be done when your child has sustained serious physical trauma to the tooth. A pulpotomy is usually done so that the tooth and pulp in the root of the tooth can be preserved.

You may be wondering why your child’s affected tooth isn't simply removed since it is a primary tooth that will eventually be replaced by a permanent one. The reason is that primary teeth help to ensure that the permanent space will be arranged properly and will have enough space to grow when they start to grow.

Literally, "pulpotomy" translates to "to cut the pulp." However, in the medical community, a pulpotomy is used to refer to the entire procedure, including the filling of the space the pulp was removed from with special medication.

A pulpotomy should not be mixed up with a pulpectomy. The latter is performed when your child’s tooth decay has extended past the pulp in the crown to the pulp in the root of the tooth (radicular pulp).