The milk tooth nerve in particular can quickly become infected by carious bacteria and die, even though the hole might still look small from the outside.

Inter-proximal tooth decay is especially dangerous for the delicate milk teeth. If the nerve is affected in cases of teeth with deep caries, nerve treatment will be necessary. In most instances, the diseased part of the nerve must be removed.

Sometimes, however, a milk tooth dies, perhaps due to an accident or tooth decay. If that happens, root canal treatment will be necessary, as with adults. Optical changes to the tooth, a fistula or an abscess are the outward signs of a tooth dying. A crown should be placed on the tooth after any endodontic treatment.

Inadequate or wrong treatment (leaving the tooth as it is or drilling it, for example) can cause long-term health problems, such as damage to the remaining tooth or an abscess. X-ray images are essential for an precise examination.