Paediatric Endodontics

Kids Root Canal
in Chandigarh — Saving Baby Teeth Gently & Pain-Free

When a baby tooth becomes infected, removing the nerve tissue is usually the right call. Dr. Sandhu assesses the tooth and manages pain before, during, and after the appointment.
Duration

45–60 min

Anaesthesia

Local

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— Why Baby Teeth Get Infected

Baby teeth need root canal treatment? Here’s why it happens.

Almost every parent who hears their child needs a baby root canal says the same thing: “Can’t we just pull it out? It’s going to fall out anyway.” It’s a reasonable question. Baby teeth are temporary. Why go through a procedure to save one? The answer is that an infected baby tooth doesn’t stay quietly infected. It hurts. It can develop an abscess. It can spread infection to the permanent tooth developing beneath it. And losing a baby molar too early — before the permanent tooth is ready to come through — triggers a chain of orthodontic consequences that take years to fix.

Extracting an infected baby tooth solves the immediate problem. It doesn’t solve what comes next. Adjacent teeth drift into the gap. The permanent successor may erupt at the wrong angle. The child may need a space maintainer to preserve the arch. In most cases, treating the tooth and keeping it until it falls out naturally is the better clinical and orthodontic outcome.

Decay in children progresses faster than in adults. Baby tooth enamel is thinner, the pulp chamber is proportionally larger, and the distance from the surface to the nerve is shorter. A cavity that would take years to reach the nerve in an adult tooth can reach the pulp in a baby tooth within months. By the time a child is in pain — or a parent notices a swollen gum or a tooth that has gone grey — the infection is usually well established. Dr. Sandhu will assess the extent with a periapical X-ray before recommending pulpotomy or pulpectomy.

Signs your child’s tooth may be infected
  • Toothache that wakes the child at night
  • Swelling of the gum near a tooth
  • A pimple or bump on the gum (sinus tract)
  • A tooth that has darkened or gone grey
  • Child refusing to eat on one side
  • Face or cheek swelling (SEEK CARE TODAY)
Baby molar with an open cavity and green rubber dam ring during pulp treatment
Understanding the Procedure

Pulpotomy or pulpectomy — what’s the difference?

Both are forms of kids root canal treatment. The difference is how far the infection has spread — and how much of the nerve tissue needs to be removed.
Pulpotomy
Baby Root Canal · Partial
Pulpectomy
Kids RCT · Full
Also calledBaby root canal, partial pulp therapy, tooth nerve treatment kidsFull pulp therapy, kids RCT, pulpectomy
What it treatsInfection limited to the crown portion of the pulp — root tissue is still healthy on X-rayInfection that has spread into the root canals — deeper and more extensive
What is removedInfected pulp in the crown portion only. Root canal tissue left intact and healthy.All pulp tissue from both the crown and the full length of the root canals
What is placedMedicated dressing (MTA or Biodentine) to preserve remaining healthy root tissueResorbable paste fills the root canals — critical for allowing the permanent tooth to erupt normally
Why resorbable material matters—Baby tooth roots must dissolve naturally as the permanent tooth erupts. Adult RCT materials cannot be used here — they would block this process.
Duration45–60 min including crown60 min including crown
Crown required?Yes — placed same appointment in most casesYes — placed same appointment in most cases
Starting price₹5,000+ (crown priced separately)Higher — confirmed at examination (crown priced separately)
This is why kids root canal treatment is not the same as adult root canal treatment — and why a dentist experienced in paediatric endodontics selects the right procedure for the clinical picture, rather than applying a single protocol to every tooth. Dr. Sandhu determines which applies to your child at the examination appointment, with the X-ray in front of you.
Pulpotomy
Baby Root Canal · Partial
Pulpectomy
Kids RCT · Full
Also calledBaby root canal, partial pulp therapy, tooth nerve treatment kidsFull pulp therapy, kids RCT, pulpectomy
What it treatsInfection limited to the crown portion of the pulp — root tissue is still healthy on X-rayInfection that has spread into the root canals — deeper and more extensive
What is removedInfected pulp in the crown portion only. Root canal tissue left intact and healthy.All pulp tissue from both the crown and the full length of the root canals
What is placedMedicated dressing (MTA or Biodentine) to preserve remaining healthy root tissueResorbable paste fills the root canals — critical for allowing the permanent tooth to erupt normally
Why resorbable material matters—Baby tooth roots must dissolve naturally as the permanent tooth erupts. Adult RCT materials cannot be used here — they would block this process.
Duration45–60 min including crown60 min including crown
Crown required?Yes — placed same appointment in most casesYes — placed same appointment in most cases
Starting price₹5,000+ (crown priced separately)Higher — confirmed at examination (crown priced separately)
This is why kids root canal treatment is not the same as adult root canal treatment — and why a dentist experienced in paediatric endodontics selects the right procedure for the clinical picture, rather than applying a single protocol to every tooth. Dr. Sandhu determines which applies to your child at the examination appointment, with the X-ray in front of you.
Kids Root Canal Treatment Protocol

The decision between pulpotomy, pulpectomy, and extraction

Three clinical factors determine which path is right for your child’s tooth. Here is how we work through them at every appointment.

Factor 1 — The X-Ray

What the Radiograph Shows Changes Everything

A periapical X-ray is the foundation of every pulp therapy decision at Tricity Smiles. It shows the extent of decay, whether infection has reached the root canals, whether there is bone loss around the root, and whether the permanent tooth developing beneath is at risk. A tooth with intact root structure and no periapical pathology is a candidate for pulpotomy. Furcation involvement, widened periodontal ligament space, or internal root resorption shifts the decision to pulpectomy — or, in some cases, to extraction.

Factor 2 — Save or Extract?

When Saving the Tooth Is Worth It — and When It Isn’t

Not every infected baby tooth should be saved. If the tooth has lost too much root structure, if infection has destroyed the supporting bone, or if the permanent tooth is close to erupting, extraction may be the more appropriate option. Dr. Sandhu makes this assessment at the examination and explains the reasoning. Where a tooth can and should be saved, the evidence supports saving it. Where it cannot, the recommendation is extraction — and a space maintainer discussion follows.

Factor 3 — The Crown

A Crown Is Required. Planned Before the Procedure Begins.

A tooth that has undergone pulp therapy is structurally compromised. A filling alone is not sufficient. An SSC or esthetic is placed in the same appointment in most cases — protecting the tooth immediately and eliminating a second visit. At Tricity Smiles, the crown is planned before the pulp therapy begins, not as an afterthought at the end. The two procedures are treated as one appointment.

Pain Management & Medication

Pain during and after — and what we prescribe, and why

Kids root canal treatment at Tricity Smiles is performed under local anaesthesia. Your child will feel pressure and movement, but should feel no pain during the procedure. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is available for anxious children and is particularly helpful for procedures of this length. Dr. Sandhu uses a tell-show-do approach throughout — every step explained to the child before it happens.

Antibiotics are not a routine part of pulp therapy. They do not replace proper drainage and pulp treatment — a tooth that needs a pulpectomy needs a pulpectomy, not a prescription. When antibiotics are prescribed at Tricity Smiles, the antibiotic, dose, and duration are selected based on your child’s weight, not a generic adult protocol.

Many parents arrive having been told that antibiotics resolved a dental infection. They may have temporarily suppressed the symptoms — but the bacteria inside the pulp remain. The tooth will re-infect. The only definitive treatment is removing the infected tissue. Dr. Sandhu will explain this clearly, without judgement and without rushing.

During the Procedure

Local Anaesthesia — Your Child Should Feel No Pain

The tooth and surrounding tissue are fully numb before any work begins. Pressure and vibration are normal sensations — pain is not. Nitrous oxide can be added for any child who needs additional support.

After the Procedure

Mild Soreness for 24–48 Hours Is Normal

Tenderness when biting is expected and managed with paracetamol or ibuprofen. Before your child leaves, Dr. Sandhu provides written dosing instructions based on your child’s current weight.

ⓘ Never estimate weight-based dosing from adult packaging. Written instructions specific to your child’s weight are provided at every appointment.

Antibiotics

Prescribed on Clinical Grounds — Not Routinely

Antibiotics are prescribed only when infection has spread beyond the tooth: facial swelling, lymph node involvement, or systemic signs. When prescribed, the choice, dose, and duration are weight-based and written down before you leave.

— Why Tricity Smiles

Root canal treatment for children in Chandigarh — done by someone trained to know the difference

US-Trained in Paediatric Endodontics

Dr. Sandhu trained at USC and UCSF — programmes where the distinction between pulpotomy and pulpectomy, the selection of pulp medicaments, and the use of resorbable root canal materials in primary teeth are taught as distinct clinical skills from adult endodontics. He is a dentist in Chandigarh with this background.

Periapical X-Ray Before Every Pulp Therapy Decision

No pulpotomy or pulpectomy is planned at Tricity Smiles without a periapical X-ray showing the full root structure, surrounding bone, and the developing permanent tooth beneath. This is not optional — it is the clinical foundation of the decision. Pulp therapy performed without radiographic assessment is treatment performed without sufficient information.

Pain Management and Prescriptions Written for Your Child’s Weight

Post-operative instructions at Tricity Smiles are not generic. Written weight-based dosing guidelines are provided before you leave. Where antibiotics are indicated, the antibiotic, dose, and duration are selected on clinical grounds — not prescribed routinely, and not withheld when genuinely needed.
Dr. Sandhu — US-trained dentist in Chandigarh with credentials from USC and UCSF

Dr. Sandhu
USC · UCSF · CMC Ludhiana

“I had an excellent experience with Dr. Sandhu. I brought my daughter to Tricity Smiles Dentistry for pulpotomy, crown and fillings and I am fully satisfied with the treatment. He is the best Dr in Tricity. I highly recommend him to anyone who’s looking for the best dentist in Tricity.”
Patient seated at the clinic desk in a video testimonial still
Rita M.
Google Review · Tricity Smiles Dentistry, Chandigarh

Your child is in pain. Let’s fix that.

Dr. Sandhu will assess the tooth, take an X-ray, and tell you clearly what is needed and what it will cost — before any treatment begins.
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5★

Google Rating

5-star

rated on Google

20+

Years Experience

— Our Philosophy

The tooth that needed a root canal last week
needed a filling last year.

Dental infection in children does not arrive without warning. It arrives at the end of a sequence — a cavity that was present but not painful, an appointment that was postponed, a child who wasn’t yet due for a check-up. By the time there is a swelling or a sleepless night, the sequence is complete. The pulpotomy is not the problem. The problem started much earlier, and it started quietly.

“We do not say this to make parents feel guilty. We say it because the same sequence is happening right now in other teeth — and those teeth can still be caught at the filling stage.”
— Dr. Sandhu

What we try to do at Tricity Smiles is interrupt the sequence before it completes. That is what the caries risk assessment is for. That is what the fluoride treatment and the sealants are for. And that is why we treat the appointment after the pulpotomy as equally important as the pulpotomy itself — because it is the moment when the family’s relationship with preventive dentistry either begins or doesn’t.

The child who comes in every six months already knows the room, knows the chair, and knows that most appointments are short and easy. When a more complex appointment does come, it does not feel like a first encounter with dentistry. That familiarity is worth building early.

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Book the Prevention Appointment Too
Questions & After-Care

What parents ask us about kids root canal treatment

Common questions about pulpotomy, pulpectomy, pain, antibiotics, and what to do after the appointment.
Is a baby root canal really necessary, or can the tooth just be extracted?
Extraction is sometimes the right answer — but not always. A baby molar lost before its time causes adjacent teeth to drift, affects the eruption path of the permanent successor, and usually requires a space maintainer. In most cases, pulp therapy and a crown preserves the tooth until it falls out naturally, which is the better clinical and orthodontic outcome. Dr. Sandhu will tell you honestly when extraction is the better call.
A pulpotomy removes only the infected pulp in the crown portion of the tooth — the root tissue remains and is preserved with a medicated dressing. A pulpectomy removes all pulp tissue including from the root canals, which are then filled with a resorbable material. The key difference is how far the infection has progressed — determined by clinical examination and X-ray. See the full comparison table above.
Pulpotomy at Tricity Smiles starts from ₹5,000 per tooth. Pulpectomy is priced higher and confirmed at the examination. A crown is almost always required and priced separately — SSCs start from ₹5,000 and esthetic crowns from ₹7,500. All costs are confirmed in writing before treatment begins.
The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia — your child should feel pressure and movement but no pain. Nitrous oxide is available for anxious children. Most children tolerate the appointment better than their parents expect, particularly when the tell-show-do approach is used throughout.
Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours is normal. Paracetamol or ibuprofen, dosed by your child’s weight, is effective. Dr. Sandhu will give you written weight-based dosing instructions before you leave. Do not use adult doses or estimate from packaging. If pain is severe, worsening, or accompanied by swelling after 48 hours, call us.
Not routinely. Antibiotics are prescribed only when there is clinical evidence that infection has spread beyond the tooth — facial swelling, lymph node involvement, or systemic signs like fever. When prescribed, the choice and dose are based on your child’s weight, not a generic adult protocol.
Yes. Antibiotics can temporarily suppress symptoms, but the bacteria inside the pulp remain. The tooth will re-infect — often more severely. The only definitive treatment is removing the infected tissue through pulp therapy or extraction.
Yes — in most cases. Professional cleaning and fluoride treatment every six months, sealants on vulnerable molars, and early intervention when a small cavity is first identified are the most effective steps. We discuss this at every appointment and make it easy to book the next one before you leave.
After the Pulp Therapy Appointment

What to expect in the first 48 hours

What is normal, what to give your child, and when to call us.
What’s Normal
  • Mild soreness when biting — normal for 24–48 hrs
  • Slight gum tenderness around the treated tooth
  • Child quieter than usual — this passes by the next day

Do

  • Soft foods for 24 hours
  • Paracetamol or ibuprofen — use the written weight-based dose given at discharge
  • Normal brushing, gently around the treated tooth
  • Complete any antibiotics prescribed — full course, even if child seems better
Avoid
  • Sticky or hard foods on the treated side for 24 hours
  • Adult doses of pain relief
  • Stopping antibiotics early if prescribed
Call Us Immediately If
  • Swelling develops or gets worse
  • Child develops a fever
  • Pain is severe and not responding to the correct dose
  • Crown becomes loose or falls off

Swelling or fever after treatment?

Call us — Mon–Fri 10–7, Sat 10–2
Call Us

Related reading: Root canal in baby teeth

Treat the tooth that hurts. Then prevent the next one.

Dr. Sandhu will assess the tooth, explain exactly what is needed, and give you a written treatment plan before anything begins. Book the prevention appointment alongside it — the two belong together.

Book Your Child’s Appointment
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5★

Google Rating

5-star

rated on Google

20+

Years Experience