An infected baby tooth can often be saved rather than pulled. That single fact changes the treatment plan for many children in Dubai.
How the infection starts
Deep cavities reach the third layer of the tooth, the nerve or pulp. At that point the child may complain of pain, discomfort or swelling in the gums.
On examination, the area may look swollen or present as an abscess. Radiographs then show dark areas between the roots, or at the root tip close to the developing permanent tooth beneath.
The conventional answer
The most common treatment has long been removal of the tooth, followed by a fixed spacer. It works, but it costs the child a natural tooth years early.
Because diagnostics and planning have advanced, that approach can now be replaced. Laser-assisted root canal treatment offers a more functional alternative.
Treating an infected baby tooth with lasers
Laser-assisted root canal treatment allows the tooth to stay in the mouth until it exfoliates naturally. Treatment is performed without local anaesthesia in the gums.
If a child is sensitive to the procedure, it can be completed under nitrous oxide conscious sedation instead.
Erbium and Diode lasers each serve a different purpose. Erbium lasers create access into the root canal. Afterwards both lasers are used, following the conventional steps, to achieve proper sterilisation.
How many visits it takes
The extent of infection decides. Treatment may finish in a single visit, or it may need several. An interim filling is placed once the work is complete.
Review follows in three to six months. If there are no signs of reinfection, the filling is then replaced with a crown.
How well it works
In more than ninety-five percent of cases this approach succeeds, and the infection heals within a few weeks. Occasionally, though, infection persists or returns.
In those cases extraction becomes necessary, followed by a spacer or space maintainer. Keeping the natural tooth remains the goal, since it is the best space maintainer available. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also supports preserving primary teeth wherever the tooth is restorable.
Get an infected baby tooth checked in Dubai
Swelling or an abscess should never be left to settle on its own. Call +971 50 682 3462 or book an appointment with Dr. Imneet Madan in Dubai.
