The Toothache That Changed My Life

The mention of a root canal puts fear into many people's minds. However, with the advancing dental technology, root canals aren't actually that scary anymore. This is why if you hear your dentist mention that your child needs a root canal, it's not much to particularly worry about. Keep in mind, though that this is only needed if your child has experienced seriously deep decay. This only happens with extremely poor dental care including lack of routine visits to the dentist. Here's what you should specifically know about root canals for children:

Your Child Will Get a Baby Root Canal: The first thing you should know is that the specific term for root canals for children who still have their baby teeth is a "baby root canal." This procedure is a bit different than the root canal performed for adults. What happens is your child's dentist medicates the damaged nerve underneath the tooth and covers it with a crown for a long-term solution that is then addressed later on when the baby tooth is lost, and the adult teen begins to make their way in. 

Root Canals are Safe: There's an increasing fear that root canals are not necessary and are actually damaging, which is not actually the case. Root canals are very safe, and all medications used to treat the damaged nerve does not affect your child's health. 

Root Canals are Necessary: Root canals are necessary for different reasons in children than adults. It may even be more necessary for children simply because if the infection of the tooth and nerve goes untreated, it can affect the permanent tooth. Being left untreated can cause pain that can affect your child in a number of ways, such as their performance in school, eating habits, and more. 

Experience is Similar to Filling: What you should definitely note as a parent is that the treatment is very similar to that of a basic filling. The treatment can be done in one day, and your child will receive the same kind of anesthesia medication to keep them comfortable and relaxed without experiencing any discomfort. 

As a parent, it's important to know these things about a root canal so that if it's something your dentist recommends for your child, you don't have a reason to be fearful of the process. In fact, in just one simple visit to your child's dentist, the problem can be resolved and ensure that your child stays healthy long-term.