Childhood caries is a disease with a high prevalence that affects thousands of children in the Region of Murcia, both in temporary teeth and in permanent or adult teeth. In the latter case, treatment is usually the same as that of an older patient, while the treatment of temporary teeth has different characteristics that make different procedures necessary for these teeth.
Specifically, when a caries present in a 'milk' tooth reaches the dental nerve, normally with a history of pain, a pulpotomy is performed by removing the caries from the pulp chamber (but not from the roots of the tooth), avoiding pulp infection and the consequent discomfort, as confirmed by the experts at the Spanish Society of Paediatric Dentistry.
Subsequently, the chamber will be filled with biomaterials that will give stability to the piece and the treatment, in order to achieve maximum durability of the piece, until it exfoliates (falls out) naturally.
In addition, it will sometimes be necessary to cover the teeth, especially the primary molars, with preformed metal crowns, as the removal of tooth material is usually large, and the viability of the tooth may be compromised.
All in all, pulpotomy is a appropriate treatment to maintain tooth space, avoid dental discomfort for child patients, and ensure correct replacement of primary teeth throughout a child's life.
