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Unrestorable primary teeth

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Unrestorable primary teeth

Description: Much of the crown of the tooth has been destroyed by caries or has fractured off making restoration impossible, or the dental pulp is exposed and has formed a pulp polyp. 

Photograph showing an unrestorable primary tooth

Image shows a carious lesion in a primary tooth that is not restorable.

Aim: To avoid pain or infection by either arresting caries progression and maintaining the arrested state, or by extraction.

Either carry out non-restorative cavity control, which may include the application of silver diamine fluoride, or extract the tooth (see Extraction).

  • Try to avoid extractions at the child’s first visit, if possible.

If the lesion is judged to be unlikely to cause symptoms before exfoliation, and there is no associated signs and symptoms of infection, the preferred option is non-restorative cavity control. However, if at review the caries has not arrested, then extraction is likely to be necessary. If there is associated infection, the tooth should be extracted.