Pediatric Pulpotomy
A procedure to treat inflamed pulp tissue in primary teeth to save the tooth.
A pulpotomy, sometimes called a 'baby root canal,' is a procedure to treat a primary tooth when decay has reached the pulp (nerve). Unlike adult root canals that remove all pulp tissue, a pulpotomy removes only the inflamed coronal pulp while preserving the healthy radicular (root) pulp. This maintains tooth vitality and function until natural exfoliation. The procedure involves removing decay, amputating the coronal pulp, applying a medicament (MTA, formocresol, or ferric sulfate) to the remaining vital pulp, and restoring the tooth with a stainless steel crown. Success rates range from 85-100% depending on the medicament used. MTA has become the preferred material due to its biocompatibility and high success rate.