Hello
I have a five-year-old nephew. A month ago he started having problems with two of the "second-to-last" upper teeth (baby teeth). The dentist opened both of them, and on one a "cyst" formed. Following her advice we massaged it with Donagel and now that bump has disappeared. However, both teeth still hurt the child a lot despite regular brushing several times a day. Because he is thin and small, he is now also refusing food, since both teeth hurt after every meal. The dentist says that this is all she could do (open both teeth). Of course, the boy is now afraid of dentists.

Dear Sir/Madam!

In most cases, dead primary teeth cannot be treated endodontically in the same way as permanent teeth. The reason is the quite different anatomy of the roots of primary teeth; treatment is additionally hindered by the physiological resorption of the roots from the apices toward the dental crown, which is a prerequisite for normal shedding of primary teeth and eruption of permanent teeth. An opened primary tooth could otherwise be closed with a biological antibiotic paste, but only for a certain period determined by the duration of action of that material. After that time the primary tooth needs to be opened again, refilled, or left open. In practice, primary teeth are most often left open because complications are least frequent in that case. We advise against extracting the teeth as long as their presence maintains space for the permanent successor. If pain recurs, the root canals need to be widened again and a decision made between the two methods described above. If I have not been clear enough, you can call us by phone.

Have a nice day!