Final answer:
The treatment for a 9-year-old boy with a non-responsive fractured incisor is the removal of dead pulp tissue (debridement) and apexification to create a barrier for root canal filling.
Step-by-step explanation:
For a 9-year-old boy who fractured a central incisor a year ago and currently shows no symptoms but the tooth does not respond to pulp testing, the preferred treatment is debridement of the pulp space and apexification. X-ray imaging shows the internal state of the tooth, which is crucial for deciding the appropriate treatment. If the pulp is damaged, it can lead to infection spread and abscess formation. The radiograph is essential to determine the extent of decay and assess necessary treatment options.
In this specific case, since the tooth does not respond to pulp testing, the lack of symptoms can be misleading and the absence of a response indicates that the nerve within the tooth is no longer vital. Debridement involves the removal of necrotic, or dead, pulp tissue. Apexification is a process that induces the formation of calcified tissue at the root tip to provide a stop or barrier against which a root canal filling material can be compacted.