In crown-root fracture with pulp, which procedure is commonly used for an immature tooth?

Prepare for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Oral Boards. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations to ace your exam!

When managing an immature tooth with a crown-root fracture that involves the pulp, keeping the pulp alive to allow continued root development is the priority. A Cvek pulpotomy, or shallow partial pulpotomy, achieves this by removing only a small, inflamed portion of pulp tissue beneath the exposure, achieving hemostasis, and then sealing the pulp with a biocompatible material such as calcium hydroxide or MTA. This preserves vitality of the remaining radicular pulp, promoting continued dentin formation and apex closure, which is crucial for root maturation in a developing tooth. By maintaining pulpal health, you improve long-term prognosis and avoid prematurely ending root development.

Immediate extraction would discard the tooth’s developmental potential, which is especially valuable in an immature dentition. Root canal therapy for all cases ignores the benefit of preserving vitality when the pulp can heal, and bonding alone does not address the pulp status or support ongoing root formation.