What is a pulpectomy (baby tooth root canal)?
Quick Clinical Answer
A pulpectomy is a pediatric dental procedure that removes infected pulp tissue from the crown and roots of a primary (baby) tooth. It cleans and disinfects the canal, filling it with a resorbable paste so the baby tooth remains functional, preserves jaw spacing, and allows the underlying adult tooth to erupt properly.
Why Not Just Extract the Infected Baby Tooth?
Parents often wonder why primary teeth are treated rather than extracted. Baby molars must stay in place until ages 10 to 12. If a baby molar is pulled prematurely, adjacent teeth drift into the vacant space, causing severe crowding and impaction of the permanent premolars.
A pulpectomy preserves the child's natural tooth structure, maintains normal chewing, and acts as a natural space maintainer until the permanent tooth is ready to emerge.
How Does a Pulpectomy Differ From an Adult Root Canal?
While both treatments eliminate infected dental pulp, a child's pulpectomy uses resorbable paste (such as zinc oxide eugenol or calcium hydroxide with iodoform). As the permanent adult tooth pushes upward, the baby tooth roots and the paste resorb naturally.
In contrast, adult permanent root canals are sealed with permanent, non-resorbable gutta-percha.
Protective Crowns Following Pulpectomy
Primary molars treated with a pulpectomy become fragile. A pediatric crown (stainless steel or tooth-colored zirconia) is placed to protect the tooth from fracturing during normal chewing.
Related Treatment
Pediatric & Preventive Dentistry →Frequently Asked Questions
Is a pulpectomy painful for a child?
No. Local anesthesia numbs the area completely. The procedure relieves the throbbing pain caused by deep pulp infection, providing rapid relief.
How long does a pulpectomy take?
In most cases, an experienced pediatric dentist completes the pulpectomy and crown placement in 30 to 45 minutes.
Will the crown fall off when the baby tooth is shed?
Yes. The crown is bonded to the primary tooth and naturally falls out together with the baby tooth when the adult tooth erupts.