Also known as a root canal, a pulpectomy is used to save and repair an infected or decayed tooth. A root canal procedure involves removing the nerve and pulp of a tooth. The inside of the tooth is then cleaned and sealed. The nerves are in the roots or “legs” of the tooth. The pulp is the soft area within the center of a tooth. The tooth is nourished by blood vessels and connective tissue that travels from the tip of the tooth’s root into the pulp chamber.

Because the enamel of baby teeth is very thin compared to permanent teeth, it is easier for tooth decay to infect the pulp and nerve area of primary teeth. When this happens, your child will have to receive a pulpotomy. This is when some of the pulp or nerve tissue above the gum line is removed, along with decay. A layer of sedative filling material is placed in the cavity after the area is thoroughly cleaned. This protects the remaining nerve tissue. The rest of the tooth either receives a stainless steel dental crown or is filled with composite resin material. The material used depends on what part of the tooth is affected. For more severe cases of decay, a pulpectomy or root canal may need to be performed.