HOSA Dental Terminology Practice

What procedure is performed to treat a non-vital tooth?

1. Apexogenesis

2. Apexification

3. Pulp capping

4. Pulpectomy

The correct answer is: Apexification

The procedure performed to treat a non-vital tooth is apexification. This treatment is specifically aimed at teeth that have incomplete root development and are non-vital, meaning that the pulp of the tooth is dead or dying. During apexification, the dentist creates a barrier at the apex of the tooth root to facilitate the formation of bone and allow the tooth to strengthen. This is important in non-vital teeth because, without this barrier, the tooth may be more prone to fracture or other complications. In contrast to apexification, apexogenesis is a procedure focused on preserving vital pulp tissue in a tooth with incomplete root development, encouraging continued root formation rather than treating a non-vital condition. Pulp capping involves placing a material over the exposed pulp to promote healing, meant for vital teeth that are at risk but still have vital pulp. A pulpectomy, on the other hand, is the complete removal of the pulp from a non-vital tooth, which is more invasive than apexification and generally considered when the tooth is fully developed. Therefore, for a non-vital tooth with an incomplete root, apexification is the appropriate and focused procedure.