When a Little Tooth Has a Big Toothache
A deep cavity that reaches the nerve of a baby tooth is painful, and very treatable. Gentle pulp therapy relieves the ache, clears the problem, and saves a tooth that still has an important job to do. Most kids feel better the same day.
What children's endodontics includes
Nerve care sized for baby teeth, simpler and quicker than the adult version parents picture.
- Pulpotomy, the "baby root canal." We remove only the infected part of the nerve inside the crown of the tooth, soothe what's healthy, and seal it. Far simpler than an adult root canal, and usually done in one visit.
- Pulp therapy for deep cavities. When decay gets close to the nerve but hasn't reached it, a protective medicated layer can calm the tooth and often avoids nerve treatment entirely.
- A protective crown after. A treated baby tooth usually gets a small kid-sized crown so it stays strong until it's naturally ready to fall out.
- Honest triage first. Not every sore tooth needs nerve treatment, and occasionally a tooth is better off removed with a space maintainer placed. We'll tell you plainly which is which.
Gentle with the tooth, honest with you
Saving a baby tooth matters because it holds space and timing for the adult tooth underneath. But the treatment only counts if your child stays comfortable, so that's where we put the effort.
- Pain relief comes first. A child with a toothache gets seen promptly, often the same day you call, and leaves comfortable.
- Thorough numbing, gentle pace. Topical gel, slow anesthetic, and constant check-ins. The tooth sleeps through the whole thing.
- Nitrous oxide when it helps. Mild, safe laughing gas keeps anxious kids relaxed and wears off within minutes.
- Honest about the hard cases. For the rare child who truly needs treatment under general anesthesia, we refer to a pediatric specialist set up for it and help coordinate that care.
What pulp therapy looks like
Find the real problem
A gentle exam and a small X-ray show how deep the cavity goes and whether the nerve is involved, we show you everything we see.
Calm, comfortable treatment
Once the tooth is fully numb, the infected tissue is removed, the tooth is soothed and sealed, and a protective crown goes on, usually all in one visit.
Back to being a kid
The toothache is gone, the tooth keeps its job, and we watch it at every checkup until it retires on schedule.
Questions parents ask us
Plain answers from our Peterborough team: no jargon, no pressure.
- New patients welcome
- Most insurance accepted
- CareCredit financing available
It's gentler than it sounds. A pulpotomy treats only the infected tissue inside the crown of the tooth, much simpler and quicker than an adult root canal. When a baby tooth can be saved comfortably, saving it protects the space and timing for the adult tooth underneath. When it can't, we'll say so honestly and talk through the alternative.
Not sure if it's urgent? A bad toothache shouldn't wait. See our same-day toothache care →
Still have questions?
Call and you'll reach a real person on our team: no phone tree, no hold music. We'd genuinely love to help.
(603) 924-3664Rather write to us? Contact us
Let's get that tooth comfortable again
Tell us what's going on and we'll be in touch the same working day, kids in pain get priority scheduling.
- New patients welcome
- Most insurance accepted