Should my 3 year old get a root canal?

Question

My son had some trauma to his two front teeth. They are discolored (bruising) and the dentist said that if they are in danger of "dying" a root canal may be able to salvage them. Of course this involves sedation.

Answer 1

Please listen to your dentist. Chances are he/she is not just trying to get money out of you...they truly have your kid's best interest at heart. My daughter, now 6, had a "baby" root canal when she was 4. Like you, I was kind of shocked at first, and the sedation issue was frightening. But with a good Pediatric Dentist and a couple of "warm-up" visits for her to get used to the idea of LOTS of work at once in her mouth, she came through it just fine.
But if you are not able to salvage them, and your son being only 3 years old, his permanent teeth will be YEARS coming in, and you are looking at major malformations in his permanent teeth, probably braces, or at the very least some major dental work down the road to repair what MIGHT could be prevented NOW by some simple work your dentist is recommending.
Yes, your child will probably cry at the thought of being left in the dentist's chair...but don't mistake that for PAIN and that you are a bad parent for putting him through it. Doesn't he also cry when getting his vaccinations and a haircut, or perhaps when being dropped off at daycare, etc? It truly is for his good, and it is not excruciatingly painful...just different, and his natural defense will be to cry. He doesn't know any different.
I only speak from experience, partly as a parent, and partly as a nurse...but mostly as a parent who's been there.
Good luck with everything.....

Answer 2

Baby Root Canal

Answer 3

This is very common with an active child. The root of his teeth have reacted, but may not remain dark. Did the dentist take an
X-Ray? Did they need repositioning? There are different levels of trauma. It probably could have been much worse. I've seen restitched faces, and many knocked out teeth.
There is nothing to do now, but wait to see if the root does die. If it does, a pulpotomy would be the recommended procedure. It varies from a root canal, in that only the top portion of the root is removed. It is then filled with medication and a special filler. Then a crown with a tooth colored facing is fitted and glued to the teeth.
Do not let anyone EVER tell you that a baby's tooth is unimportant. Or listen to those who say this. All teeth are important in the mouth for space. Once a tooth is removed prematurely, the surrounding teeth shift. This could cause problems when the adult teeth erupt. Also, baby teeth do have nerves. Children can feel a tremendous amount of pain due to decay.
Your child will not loose his 1st baby teeth (lower front's) until 5 1/2-6. This is a general guideline. You can see what is lost here:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/dental-health-your-childs-teeth

A good permanent eruption chart is here:
http://www.webmd.com/NR/rdonlyres/F23C99DA-0742-48AA-87C3-12B0F493539A.jpg

Does your child see a pediatric dentist? I do recommend one. I also recommend the use of nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Let the dentist treat your child and be a silent observer. If you are not happy with the dentists manner, change dentists. When a good dentist treats a child, they tell them what's happening, show them, then do what they've been talking about. (Tell,Show,Do). Don't talk over medical personnel, and let them treat your child and create a relationship with them. Don't discuss treatment, let the dentist use their own child friendly terms- sleepy water, small pinch, space nose, straw or Mr. Thirsty, whistle, etc. If the child complains about any follow up visits, I would just tell them that it's important for their health and the more behaved they are, the faster the visit is. Don't ever explain a procedure. Things may have changed. Don't tell your child to hold anything tight or close their eyes. That increases touch.
Don't forget that children don't understand how to express themselves. If they don't like something, they always say it hurts. They have temper tantrums (always visit as early in the day as possible) and cry. It's normal. Let the doctor handle it.

I know I went crazy with this, but I'm an assistant with a pediatric dentist and I wanted you to have the right information.
I wish you luck!

Answer 4

While I DO believe in "children's root canal," I do not think this is presently a place where it is needed. Baby teeth "bruise" easily after being bumped. The dentin is very porous and blood will absorb into the dentin layer of the tooth. It will then darken and become visible from the outside. It does NOT mean the teeth are dying. They will look ugly, but they may not be dead. Most likely, these teeth will remain in place without any symptoms other than the discoloration until it is time for them to come out on their own.

If the teeth DO develop an abscess, you will have to decide between root canal treatment (easy for a child) or extraction. The older the child, the more likely extraction will be the best treatment. You only need to get a couple of more years out of these teeth.

Answer 5

A root canal on a baby tooth is called a pulpotomy. It's basically the same thing except that the root of the canal on the baby tooth is not closed. This means that the dentist is not able to replace the nerve with the usual rubber material. The dentist will take the nerve out of the tooth, place a cotton pellet with medicine on it in the tooth, and then close the tooth up. The dentist will usually place a crown (cap) on the tooth to prevent the tooth from breaking.

If the tooth is dying and they start to abscess then the baby root canal will be needed. Otherwise the teeth will be lost.

Answer 6

I totally agree with what Dr. Sam said. If they would abcess I wouldn't suggest pulling them because the teeth can crowd and not have enough room for the adult teeth to come in. You would probably need to see an orthodontist about a spacer to keep the space open.

My four year old had deep decay in a baby tooth in the back and had a root canal or pulpotomy on the tooth 2 weeks ago and then had a stainless steel crown put on. They gave him the nitrous gas and he did great and had no problems afterwards.

Hope everything goes well.

Answer 7

Yes. Your son should have the "baby root canal". This procedure will enable his permanent front teeth have the proper guidance to erupt. His permanent front teeth will not erupt until he is approximately 7 years old, so he needs to keep his baby teeth for a few more years. Their guidance is vital to the permanent teeth.
If you are uneasy about the decision, visit another dentist and get a second opinion. I guarantee they will tell you the same thing.
I hope your son isn't in pain. If he is, and he doesn't have the root canal, the pain will not go away permanently. Root canals are also a way of deadening nerve so there is no pain.
Best wishes to you and your son!

Answer 8

Its actually very important for children to keep their baby teeth. They pave the way for the adult teeth to come in. I would see a root canal specialist called an endodontist to have this work done,especially if its the front teeth. The tiny piece of flesh being removed is called a frenectomy and is common. She wont need that done untill 7 or 8 years old.

Answer 9

I highly doubt that the physical trauma and pain of a root canal is necessary~if these are baby teeth, then they will come out and the adult teeth will come in just fine. I have never heard of a root canal for a child, let alone one so young, and it may be better to just wait for them to come out.

Answer 10

Assuming these are baby teeth, get a second opinion (from a dentist not associated with this one). My nephew had a similar problem and they were told it shouldn't effect his adult teeth. A root canal is very painful and I would think unnecessary.