Procedures
Pulpotomy
Removal of the inflamed pulp from the crown of a tooth, leaving the root pulp intact.
A pulpotomy is most often performed on a primary (baby) molar with deep decay that has reached the pulp but has not yet caused infection of the root canals. The dentist removes the coronal pulp tissue, places a medicament such as ferric sulphate or mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) over the remaining vital root pulp, and seals the tooth with a stainless-steel crown. The aim is to keep the tooth functional and pain-free until it is naturally exfoliated. In permanent teeth, pulpotomy is occasionally used as an interim measure before a full root canal or in young teeth with immature roots.