Ophir Alalouf

Pulp, Pulpotomy, and Root Canal

IntroductionAn accomplished pediatric dentist, Dr. Ophir Alalouf

treats young patients in need of pulpotomies and other procedures at his private office in Rockville, Maryland. Before establishing his practice, Dr. Ophir Alalouf secured his DDS from State University of New York at Buffalo.

A tooth is not a solid object. It actually acts rather like a shell surrounding a hollow chamber that houses the tooth's pulp. This essential mixture of blood vessels and nerve tissue plays a key role in the development of the hard enamel exterior, provides feeling to teeth, and ensures they remain nourished.

Pulp, Pulpotomy, and Root Canal Baby or primary teeth have pulp, but that pulp

dissipates as children mature and lose their primary teeth.

Sometimes, the pulp becomes infected, a condition known as pulpitis. In adults, this condition may require a root canal, which involves excising the pulp and rendering the tooth inert but still functional. In baby teeth, however, a dentist can sometimes perform a pulpotomy instead. This procedure removes the infected portion of the pulp in the crown of the tooth and leaves behind healthy tissue in the root.