Can Children Have Root Canal Surgery?
Like adult teeth, baby teeth have roots. But the roots of baby teeth are much smaller. This helps when the permanent teeth are ready to replace the baby teeth. The permanent teeth push through and cause the roots of baby teeth to dissolve. But, sometimes, infections strike baby teeth before the permanent teeth are ready to erupt. This calls for root canal surgery.
Children can and should have root canal surgery if that surgery can save their tooth.
Root Canal Surgery Is Safe for Children
First of all, root canal surgery is completely safe for children. Just as with adult teeth, when infection and tooth decay damage a tooth and affect the nerve, the nerve eventually dies. When the root dies, it remains inside the tooth, rotting and making the infection worse. This is why root canal surgery is so important, even for baby teeth.
If you leave a baby tooth with an infection, the infection could spread and lead to a painful abscess. Root canal surgery removes the infection. Infection isn't the only risk. Tooth infections also cause baby teeth to fall out. If your child loses a tooth too early, this could cause multiple dental health issues later on.
Root Canal Surgery Can Prevent Crooked Teeth
When tooth decay affects a baby tooth, that tooth could fall out if badly damaged. Not only that, but if the damage is too great, extraction might be the best option. But one problem that arises from the loss of baby teeth is malocclusion, or crooked teeth.
As permanent teeth, which develop over time in the jawbone, begin to erupt, they use the roots of baby teeth to guide them into position. In other words, the permanent teeth move to replace the baby teeth. But what happens when a baby tooth is missing? The permanent tooth might then come in crooked since it has nothing to guide it.
If a permanent tooth comes in crooked or in the wrong location, your child's smile will suffer. Not only that, but crooked teeth make it harder to practice good oral hygiene, and they can lead to speech development problems, too. That's why, if you have the choice, you should choose root canal surgery to save your child's tooth rather than extraction.
Root canal surgery is safe for children. And root canal surgery can save your child from having to undergo orthodontic treatment in the near future.
To learn more, contact a resource like Geelong Dental Group.