You are describing what we call "apexification", which allows continued
root development after pulpal injury.  This is accepted treatment.
    How long it has to continue depends upon how quickly root formation
occurs.  At age 8, it could still take a couple of years for the root to
close up, at which time conventional root canal therapy is done.  It is
best to do bonded restorations at this time--they can be a maintenance
problem, but crowns at this age generally don't look too good, and
usually have to be replaced by age 18-20.

Steve

Hello all,

Our then 8 year old daughter, on a trip to a friends house last
winter, took a tumble on a trampoline and traumatized one of her upper
front teeth.  The dentist performed a root canal.  At the time, she
did not cap the tooth.  She informed us that at our daughter's age,
the canal was not ready for capping and we would have to wait while
the canal "closed" on its own.  She inserted some initial filler after
the root canal and on subsequent visits over the past year has
occassionally added more filler or just checked the status of the
canal with an x-ray.  According to the dentist, this is becoming
standard treatment for children's root canal therapy.

We are close to our one year anniversary of the event and are getting
a bit anxious about this treatment.  We've been told that the tooth is
more vulnerable until the crown is in place.  Our daughter is very
active in sports and we would like this to be resolved.

We would appreciate any insight from a dental professional or anyone
with a similar experience. Thanks.