Dentistry for Kids at Great Grins for KIDS
A lifetime of healthy teeth starts with good brushing habits, good nutritional choices and trust in the dentist. By teaming up with you, we can ensure that your child has a vibrant smile all the way into adulthood.
|Preventive Dentistry||Restorative Dentistry||Sedation Dentistry|
Brushing & Flossing ◢
Cleanings & Exams ◢
Fluoride Treatments ◢
Space Maintainer ◢
Brushing & Flossing
Cleanings and Exams
Root Canals ◢
Teeth Whitening ◢
Tooth Pulp & Root Canals
Primary teeth with infected pulps are treated differently than permanent teeth.
Primary molars last until about age 11 or 12 so we like to save them with root canal treatment, if we can, instead of pulling them out and placing a space maintainer.
Because primary teeth roots need to dissolve away when the permanent teeth start to grow in, the root canal material used for baby teeth should be dissolvable or not go all the way down the root canals.
Most of the time, primary teeth with infected pulps are treated with a partial pulp removal called a pulpotomy.
The steps of primary (deciduous or baby) tooth pulpotomy procedure:
These pulpotomies are very successful for teeth that have not infected the bone supporting the tooth. If the bone around a tooth gets infected, then all the pulp tissue must be removed, even the root canal tissue. This complete pulp removal is called a pulpectomy.
A pulpectomy procedure is similar to the adult root canal treatment in that files are used to clean and shape but the material we use to fill the root canals is much different because the roots are supposed to be dissolved away as the permanent teeth erupt.
The root canal filling material for primary teeth must be resorbable or dissolvable. I use a material called Vitapex (a mixture of calcium hydroxide, iodoform, and silicone lubricant) with great success healing abscessed teeth.
Pulpectomy treatment for primary teeth is mostly reserved for only the most important teeth: the second primary molars before the eruption of the permanent molars.
When faced with the options of a painful toothache, a root canal, or an extraction, most people will be pleasantly surprised that those root canals are the best option and not an “OUCH!” after all.
Superior Service Starts Before Your Child's Appointment.
We know that your child's perception of his or her visit starts well before he or she climbs into the dentist's chair, and that's why we proudly offer a warm, kid-friendly waiting area. We keep a wide variety of storybooks and toys for all ages, so they can have fun while they wait. Also, when your little one goes in for his or her appointment, you'll have access to wi-fi, so you can make the most of your time. Read more about your child's first visit.
At Great Grins for KIDS - Portland, we believe in the power of education. Our dental team uses kid-friendly technology and easy-to-understand language to help you and your child understand what you can expect next as your child grows.
We're Here for You!
Have a question about something you've seen on our website, or heard on a popular talk show about kids and their teeth? Our team of dental assistants, office staff and our dentists are all here to answer your questions and help you navigate through your child's oral development. Give us a call today at (971) 470-0054.