Pulpotomies and Stainless Steel Crowns

The Dental Sciences have evolved much beyond what was present during the 19th and 20th Century. Many new technologies, medicines and techniques are being added every single day by Medical researchers and Dental Practitioners. All of these techniques and technological advancements have enabled patients to sport the best possible dental and oral health. Even issues pertaining to non-medical sides such as cosmetic preferences are also now possible thanks to the advancements in the dental research and sciences field.

Most people have suffered simple dental issues in their life such as the occurrence of carries or having to get their teeth replaced with a dental crown or use an implant due to the lack of structural health and integrity. These issues are no longer big or dangerous as they can be fixed easily now with the various techniques and the scientific equipment that enables dentists to use various options such as Dental crowns, Dental Implants, Dental Bridges, or even Veneers in some cases.

Medical techniques such as Root Canal Treatment, Pulpotomy and Pulpectomy have become a standard procedure that helps dentists in analysing the dental health of the tooth in question and removing any infected part which may pose a challenge to it. Only by doing so can a tooth be offered protection otherwise the decay or infection may spread to the root of the tooth and even to the adjacent teeth if not controlled or diagnosed earlier. It can also cause discomfort in day to day activities such as eating food, drinking beverages (both hot or cold), enjoying sugary delicacies or even opening the jaw. Extreme pain and discomfort may happen when decay or carries has spread to the pulp or the root and no measures have been taken to rectify the same. Any pain or discomfort should be identified early as this may help in preventing the spread of the decay to the root or pulp of the tooth. Such symptoms may include:
  • Pain while chewing
  • Stinging sensation when consuming hot or cold items
  • Pain in eating hard or chewy food items
  • Difficulty in talking and opening the mouth

Often children are the victims of decay and carries. This is because of primary teeth and its nature. Primary teeth are different from secondary teeth in both form and shape. Primary teeth has a more vulnerable nature owing to its thinner enamel and larger pulp or root. This makes them more exposed to plaque buildup and infection from germ attack. Food particles that are not cleansed thoroughly enough can end up as plaque accumulation causing germs to attack the teeth and cause decay. Protecting and keeping primary teeth intact until they are naturally exfoliated is important as they have many important functions such as

Pulpotomy is done to secure the pulp from further deterioration when faced with decay and infection of the tooth. Pulpectomy and Root canal are more or less similar and refers to the extraction of the pulp when the pulp has become infected and needs to be removed and sealed. Root Canal is a treatment that is followed in adults whereas in children and primary teeth it is referred to as Pulpectomy.

Although these techniques are different and are used from case to case scenarios, the objective of them all is to secure the original teeth as much as possible so that the issue can be corrected using a dental crown. Dental crowns are the most preferred treatment methodology as they are both simple and effective. Not only do they replicate the same functionality of the original tooth in question, they come in many different varieties and can be chosen based on the preference of both the patient and the dentist. The applications of a dental crown are:

Pulpotomy and Pulpectomy in Primary Teeth

Primary Teeth is often affected by early age caries. Even children as young as one to two years of age may have caries because of milk remains in the teeth and gums that attract germs and decay. Early age caries are caused by improper oral and dental care. It is essential that babies be given oral massage and rinse with fresh water everyday even before their teeth exfoliate. Once primary teeth begin to exfoliate, it is important to start brushing their teeth with a soft and gentle toothbrush. This helps in getting rid of any germs around the teeth and on the gums.

When dental health is not taken care of in children, it may lead to early age caries in toddlers and decay in young kids. Often when kids are brought in to the dentist with these issues, they can be treated using either a pulpotomy or a pulpectomy. These are the two procedures that are done to ensure that the infected part is removed from the teeth. The difference lies in whether the pulp of the teeth is affected - if the pulp is affected but the root is intact, only the decay part is removed and the tooth is crowned using a dental crown. If the decay has reached the pulp and the root of the tooth, then the pulp needs to be extracted along with the root and sealed which is then followed by placement of a dental crown.

Pulpotomy is a popular technique which is done by dentists to remove the infected portion from a tooth which includes the pulp. The dentist needs to examine the extent of the decay or infection in the teeth. If the structural ability of the teeth and the root is intact, then a pulpotomy is done to secure the tooth as the teeth may still be able to grow when permanent teeth exfoliate. In this procedure the extent of the infection is analysed and based on this the pulp is removed from the tooth. If the infection is spread to the roots as well, then a pulpectomy is performed instead which is similar to root canal therapy.

After a pulpotomy is done, the doctor may seal the root and provide a temporary crown. In most cases, children are usually given Stainless steel crowns as they are the most effective type of dental crown. They have minimal restoration time, are economical and are easy to adjust in children. The best part is that Pediatric stainless steel crowns are available in prefabricated form as well. Prefabricated Stainless Steel Crowns are available in many sizes and shapes and can be chosen to fit a particular size of tooth.

Features and Benefits of Stainless Steel Crowns

Stainless steel crown for Pediatric Dentistry has been in use for many decades now. In fact stainless steel crowns for adultsh have also been in use for many decades but were replaced by many other cosmetic options such as Porcelain Fused Metal crowns, Resin Veneer Crowns, Ceramic crowns and most recently Zirconia Crowns.Stainless steel tooth crown have a clear advantage in how easy they are to use and its ability. Both patients and dentists find them to be the easiest option but their only disadvantage is their metallic colour which is not esthetically pleasing.

Stainless Steel Crowns were introduced in the 1940’s and were popularly used until the last few decades. Recent research has displaced stainless steel crowns with more esthetic options but the original benefits and features of Stainless Steel Crown Tooth remains relevant even today. For parents who do not want to go for expensive dental crowns for their child, stainless steel crown is still the most optimum and economic option in the market. Stainless Steel crowns have many other benefits apart from just being economical and available in prefabricated options. Below are some of these benefits:

  • Day to day function such as mastication
  • Helps in proper speech and enunciation in early years
  • Holds space for permanent teeth and helps with alignment
  • Helps with providing proper shape to the jaw 
  • Important for self esteem and appearance for children 

    Popular Decay Removal Techniques

    There are many techniques that have come up in the recent past that have enabled dental practitioners to help patients secure their original teeth. Caries in children and decay in adults can completely ruin the original health and form of the teeth and cause many complications which may even lead to tooth extraction (although this is not preferred anymore).Different techniques are employed based on the condition of the tooth such as

  • Pulpotomy
  • Pulpectomy
  • Root Canal Treatment
  • To prevent the loss of original teeth structure to decay and caries
  • To restore the functionality of a infected tooth
  • To provide a simple alternative to teeth issue in terms of both function and esthetics
  • To provide structural integrity to tooth with strength issues
  • Stainless Steel crowns are extremely easy to adjust to by the patient. They require very low adjustments and therefore are easy on a child who has recently undergone pulpotomy or pulpectomy.
  • Stainless steel crowns can easily be replaced with new crowns if they are lost or damaged (which is quite rare) but since children are prone to caries and accidents, this must be considered
  • Stainless steel crowns are extremely strong and is still one of the best options in the dental market because of their strength
  • In continuation with the strength factor, their durability is also high. They can easily last upto 10 years with good oral and dental hygiene which is more than enough for a child as primary teeth usually is replaced with secondary and permanent teeth by the age of 13 at most
  • They rarely cause any discomfort in patients such as excessive pressure on adjoining or opposing teeth which may cause damage to them in the long run These are some of the benefits of Stainless Steel crowns for primary teeth and these are the factors why they are preferred as a post operative option for Pulpotomy cases.