What is best for a 3 yr old. baby root canal or getting the tooth pulled? i believe she has a abscess on her gum above her gray front tooth.

Extraction: If the tooth is abscessed, a pu[potomy (baby root canal) will not work and the tooth should be extracted. Really hate to remove a front tooth before age 4 but some times it is necessary. Sometimes...If there is no pain and no swelling, we will delay extraction until after age four as by then the permanent teeth are in position to hold their space.

Baby root canal: I would suggest trying to keep the baby teeth as long as possible. Baby teeth help keep the space for the permanent teeth. However, if the infection cannot be resolved with a pulpotomy "baby root canal". Then i would suggest getting the tooth out to prevent chronic infection and possible damage to the permanent tooth bud underneath the gum.

Baby root canal: Retaining space for the permanent teeth as long as possible is usually desired. Root canal followed by capping of the involved teeth is usually the tx of choice. However size and location of abcess, amount of bone support remaining on tooth root and homecare all play a role in the decision to keep the tooth or not. You dont want to potentially harm the adjacent teeth or developing adult tooth.

Extraction: If this was a back tooth i would make every reasonable effort to save the tooth with a baby root canal and a stainless steel crown in order to preserve space for the permanent teeth. Depending on the size of the abscess the tooth may still be savable. Front teeth are a different issue. Baby root canals tend to work poorly for front teeth and space loss is not really an issue in front.

Primary teeth: Unfortunately- the tooth will remain gray even if you opt for the pulp therapy. The patient is still active and there is always the chance of 2nd injury to the area. With an infection- the root anchoring the tooth can eventually resorb and the adult tooth may have a small scar. The tooth will never be quite the tooth it was suppose to be. Easiest to recover from may be the extraction.