Pediatric Endodontics

Pediatric endodontics is an integral part of dental practice that aims to preserve fully-functional primary teeth in the dental arch. Despite advances in the prevention of dental caries in pediatric dentistry, the occurrence of pulpal-involved primary teeth and their premature loss continue to be a common problem. The benefits of preserving primary teeth are of utmost importance. Primary teeth aid in mastication, phonation, and guidance of permanent tooth bud, harmonized temporal and spatial development of permanent teeth and prevent the detrimental psychological effects due to tooth loss. Despite the emphasis, prevention in primary teeth remains much talked about and rarely practiced. Restoration of a child’s dentition to a healthy, functional status is often complicated by the severity of dental caries, particularly in the primary dentition, which often falls prey to the ravages of decay. Moreover, primary dentition is often regarded as transient and hence, undeserving of much time or effort. The intervention is only sorted when the child experiences pain due to the decay. Unfortunately, the delay incurred due to dental caries renders the tooth non-restorable.