Pulp Therapy in Children

Pulp therapy is a dental procedure-commonly used in children's primary (baby) teeth-for treating and preserving the tooth's inner pulp tissue that has become inflamed or infected due to decay or trauma. It encompasses two main approaches: pulpotomy, which removes only the diseased pulp from the tooth's crown while preserving healthy tissue in the roots, and pulpectomy, which involves complete removal of pulp from both the crown and root when the infection is extensive. Beyond pulpotomy and pulpectomy, several conservative alternatives aimed at preserving pulp vitality: indirect pulp capping, where a thin layer of softened dentin is left intact and a biocompatible liner (e.g., calcium hydroxide or MTA) is placed to encourage reparative dentin formation; direct pulp capping, suitable for small, controlled pulp exposures; apexification, for immature non-vital permanent teeth.