Regular visits to the dentist should become a habit from early childhood. They will help prevent a lot of problems with the baby teeth, including progressive caries and its complication - pulpitis. Preventive examinations will ensure the correct formation of the jaw and permanent bone structures.
Pulpit tooth - what is it in children?
Temporary organs in the oral cavity have a standard structure:
- enamel;
- dentine;
- pulp.
The last indicated element is a soft tissue in which blood vessels and nerve fibers are located. Pulpitis in children is defined as a severe inflammation of the inside of the tooth. Pathology can occur in acute and chronic form, progresses very quickly. This is due to the fineness of the enamel and the lower layer of dentin, they are easily destroyed by any adverse effects.
Causes of pulpitis in children
The main factor provoking the disease in question is considered to be caries. Bacteria that live and reproduce in blackened cavities actively release toxins. These toxic compounds gradually destroy enamel and dentin, causing pulpitis of the milk tooth. Less often inflammatory processes with damage to nerve fibers begin for other reasons. Pulpitis of baby teeth in children sometimes occurs against the background of the following problems:
- mechanical injuries;
- transferred acute infection, accompanied by a decrease in immunity, bacteremia;
- rough treatment of carious cavity during treatment;
- accidental dissection of the nerve by a dentist;
- unsuitable or incorrectly installed filling material;
- overheating of the soft tissue of the milk tooth at the stage of preparation;
- treatment of the affected area with too aggressive or irritating antiseptic.
Pulpitis in a child - symptoms
The clinical manifestations of the described disease depend on the rate of its progression and the form of pathology. In some cases, it is extremely difficult to suspect pulpitis of a baby tooth - a symptom that indicates inflammation may be absent, as well as any complaints from the baby. Because of the hidden course of certain types of disease, experts advise regularly to visit the dentist for preventive examinations.
Acute pulpitis in children
This type of disease is diagnosed only at an early age, from 3 to 6 years, when the roots are already fully formed, but have not yet undergone physiological resorption (natural "resorption"). Pediatric pulpitis of infant teeth in acute form is characterized by intense, piercing pain . It intensifies at night and on the eve of going to sleep, with the clenching of the jaws and the chewing of solid food becomes intolerable. This sign is especially pronounced in the accumulation of pus in soft tissues and carious cavities.
Other symptoms accompanying the milk teeth pulpitis:
- sensitivity to hot and cold;
- increase in closely located lymph nodes;
- noticeable swelling of the cheek or lips.
Chronic pulpitis in children
Sluggish inflammation often develops against a background of an acute process, if it has not been treated. Chronic pulpitis of temporary teeth in children there are 3 types:
- fibrous;
- gangrenous;
- hypertrophic.
A feature of this type of disease is the predominant absence of severe symptoms. Prolonged inflammation of the milk tooth occurs in the presence of deep and wide carious cavities, sometimes it is diagnosed after an inadequately installed seal. In 50-60% of cases pulpitis spreads to nearby surrounding tissues, especially periodontium. Such situations require clarification of the curative plan and preliminary performance of the survey X-ray.
Fibrous pulpitis in children
This form of pathological process is the most common among chronic inflammations. Fibrous pulpitis of the milk tooth can develop independently, without the preceding acute stage. It is accompanied by mild signs, sometimes diagnosed accidentally, on a routine examination with a dentist. Chronic fibrous pulpitis in children has the following symptoms:
- a large amount of plaque on the teeth from the affected side;
- palpable pain during eating, active chewing;
- discomfort when breathing in cold air or using chilled drinks.
Gangrenous pulpitis
This type of disease always occurs against the background of acute purulent or chronic fibrotic inflammation, which has not been treated. To the pathological process is the multiplication of anaerobic microflora. Pathogenic bacteria during life emit toxins that cause the dying of the soft tissues of the milk tooth and nerve endings in it. For this reason, the pain syndrome is either completely absent, or is extremely rare and only after consuming hot food, drinks.
Chronic gangrenous pulpitis - symptoms:
- an unpleasant, putrid odor from the mouth , a similar aftertaste;
- changing the color of the milk tooth, acquiring a gray or black hue ;
- feeling of heaviness, raspiraniya in the jaw.
Hypertrophic pulpitis in children
The described variant of the inflammatory process arises from the prolonged mechanical stimulation of the open internal tissues of the milk tooth with a strong fracture of the crown part. Hypertrophic pulpitis is their proliferation, the filling of carious cavities with granulation and connective soft structures. This form of the disease is rare, mainly in children who do not visit the dentist regularly.
Hypertrophic pulpitis of the milk tooth is characterized by such clinical manifestations:
- bleeding gums while eating and hygienic procedures;
- layering of soft plaque on the teeth from the damaged side;
- catarrhal gingivitis ;
- sometimes - mild pain when chewing.
The baby has a toothache that does what?
Some parents neglect care of temporary bone structures, referring to the fact that they will soon fall out. This is a wrong approach, it is important to timely stop and prevent pulpitis of baby teeth in children - treatment is extremely necessary to prevent complications of the inflammatory process and restore the integrity of the jaw line. In the absence of therapy, the acute form of the disease will pass into the chronic, serious consequences can occur, up to the defeat of internal organs and sepsis.
Pulpit of a milk tooth - to treat or to delete?
In modern dental practice, it is extremely rare to tear out temporary bone formations. When asked if it is necessary to treat pulpitis of baby teeth, any qualified specialist will respond positively. It is important for the correct formation of the jaw, permanent structures, instilling in the kids interest in maintaining oral health and systematic visits to the doctor for preventive examinations.
Treatment of pulpitis of infant teeth additionally helps:
- maintain temporary molars until the stage of eruption of permanent ;
- improve the aesthetics of the dentition;
- prevent the occurrence of bad habits in the child (feeling with the tongue of carious cavities);
- normalize chewing functions;
- correct the pronunciation of words and letters.
Methods of treatment of pulpitis in children
There are several effective options for the therapy of the inflammatory process:
- Conservative or biological method of treatment of pulpitis in children. The method is used exclusively in the early stages of an acute disease or in fibrous chronic inflammation with shallow lesions. This technique involves the preservation of the entire pulp. Therapy is standard in 2 sessions. During the first procedure, the carious areas are cleaned, a medicinal mixture with an antiseptic action that removes inflammation is placed in empty spaces. During the second manipulation, a seal is inserted. Sometimes conservative treatment of pulpitis of the milk tooth is performed in one visit, if the degree of the inflammatory process is weak and not too much bone and soft tissue is destroyed.
- Vital methods of therapy. Amputation involves removing only the upper part of the pulp (under anesthesia). The viability of the root soft tissue is preserved. When extirpation, the pulp is cleaned completely, and the formed voids are filled with filling materials.
- Devital methods of treatment. Such variants are advisable to use if a deep pulpitis of a decayed milk tooth is detected. Before amputation or extirpation, her tissues, as well as nearby nerves, are sacrificed and mummified with special preparations, after which a seal is established.
Treatment of baby teeth pulpitis in children - stages
The most effective methods of therapy are the vital and devital techniques. This treatment of pulpitis in children is carried out for 2-3 visits. During each session, the dentist not only cleans the carious cavities, removes inflammation and restores the integrity of the crown, but also monitors the therapeutic plan, assesses the degree of its effectiveness.
Here's how the pulpitis of baby teeth is treated:
- anesthesia;
- cleaning and antiseptic treatment of damaged areas;
- the imposition of special preparations (antibiotics, devitalizing pastes);
- additional cleaning of carious cavities;
- complete or partial removal of pulp;
- root canal processing;
- filling and restoration of the crown.
Complications of treatment of pulpitis of infant teeth
Pediatric dentistry is fraught with many nuances, ranging from the anxious behavior of young patients, which hinders the doctor, and ending with the peculiarities of the structure of the jaw and its organs. In this regard, after the therapeutic procedures, complications sometimes arise that require immediate, skilled care. It is especially important to immediately consult a doctor if a fever is observed. High temperature after treatment of pulpitis in children indicates a strong inflammation.
Other possible problems:
- gingival hemorrhage due to mechanical injuries of tissues;
- intense pain, burn with improper installation of medical paste;
- inflammation and swelling due to damage to the root or fragments of the dental instrument inside the canal.