Pulpectomy
A way to save some infected baby teeth. The dentist removes sick or dead soft tissue from both the top of the tooth and the tiny canals inside its roots.
During the visit
The tooth is made numb. The dentist cleans the inside and fills the root spaces with a material that can break down as the baby tooth’s roots shrink. The tooth is sealed, often with a crown.
After the visit
Wait until numbness is gone before chewing. Follow the dentist’s pain-care plan and keep follow-up visits and X-rays.
Good to know
Unlike a pulpotomy, this cleans the root canals too. Not every infected tooth can be saved. Call if pain or swelling returns. Root canal care for adult teeth uses a different plan.
Pediatric dentist-backed sources
This page is for learning, not for finding or treating a health problem. Your child’s dentist knows your child best.