Dental Crowns in Highland Village
Restore Damaged Teeth with Dental Crowns
If your child has a damaged or decayed tooth in Highland Village, the team at Pediatric Dental World is here to help. Dr. Clapp, Dr. Bell, Dr. Lee, and Dr. Smith have decades of combined experience in pediatric restorative dentistry, and can treat damaged and decayed teeth with high-quality, long-lasting porcelain crowns. Learn more below, or contact us now for an appointment!
What Are Porcelain (Sprig) Crowns?
For treating baby teeth, we primarily use porcelain Sprig crowns. Just like stainless steel crowns used in pediatric dentistry, Sprig crowns are pre-fitted and can typically be placed in just a single appointment at Pediatric Dental World.
Unlike stainless steel crowns, however, Sprig crowns are made of zirconia, a porcelain material that looks and feels just like real enamel. This means your child’s smile will look much more natural after treatment.
Why Would My Child Need a Dental Crown?
Common Reasons for Crowns
There are many reasons that your child may need a dental crown. Read on, and learn more about some of the common dental health issues that may require you to restore your child’s tooth with a crown.
Severe Tooth Decay or Tooth Infection
Dental crowns are commonly used to restore teeth with large cavities that can’t be repaired with a dental filling. Or, if your child’s tooth is infected and needs a root canal or pulpotomy, a crown may be used to cover up the tooth after treatment and protect it from further damage.
Cracked or Broken Tooth
Because crowns cover up and protect the entire tooth structure, they’re ideal for treating cracked and broken teeth caused by dental injuries, and restoring your child’s smile and bite.
Aftercare for Dental Crowns
Dental crowns require no special aftercare, and your child can get back to their day-to-day routine immediately after crown placement. Their treated tooth may feel sore or tender for a little while, but this is normal. However, severe pain and discomfort are not normal, so follow up with your dentist Pediatric Dental World if your child is feeling a lot of pain 1-2 weeks or longer after treatment.
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Pros and Cons of Stainless Steel and Porcelain Crowns
Wondering if you should choose a stainless steel crown or a porcelain crown at our office? Let’s take a look at a few pros and cons of each type of crown now.
Pros and Cons of Stainless Steel Crowns
The top benefit of stainless crowns is that they are very affordable, and they are extremely durable and resistant to the force of chewing and biting. However, they are not tooth-colored, which will affect your child’s appearance. For that reason, they’re usually only used on baby teeth, which will fall out naturally in the future.
Pros and Cons of Porcelain Crowns
The biggest benefit of porcelain crowns is that they look and feel just like natural teeth. They are also very durable, and come in a wide variety of pre-fitted sizes. However, they are more expensive and brittle than stainless steel crowns, so they’re not the most optimal choice for rear molars that experience a lot of force during biting and chewing.
Get Honest Guidance from Our Dentists
Still not sure whether a porcelain or stainless steel crown is right for your child? Come to our office for a consultation with one of our experienced pediatric dentists and get the expert advice you need! At Pediatric Dental World, we’re here to provide compassionate, honest guidance, so you can trust your little one will always receive the very best care.
How Long Do Crowns Stay on Kids?
A crown will stay on your child’s baby tooth for the duration of that tooth’s lifespan until it naturally falls out. However, a crown placed on a child’s permanent tooth should not fall off. That doesn’t mean it’s permanent, though.
The crown is still temporary and needs to be replaced every few years. Stainless steel is stronger and more durable than porcelain so naturally, these crowns will have a longer lifespan, on average.
Ultimately, however, how long your child’s crown lasts depends on their lifestyle and oral hygiene as much as it depends on the durability of the material. If your child causes a lot of wear and tear on the crowns because they are chewing on hard foods, grinding their teeth, or chewing on their fingernails, then this will cause premature degradation.
It’s important to practice good oral hygiene and avoid sources of wear and tear. If your child’s crown is on a baby tooth, they still need to care for the crown until the tooth falls out. Then, a healthy permanent tooth will take its place and there is no need to place another crown.
Are Crowns Necessary on Baby Teeth?
Crowns are necessary when a tooth is damaged, weak, or broken – even if that tooth is a baby tooth. Maybe we should really say especially if it is a baby tooth. The idea that a child’s baby teeth aren’t important because they will naturally fall out anyway is thankfully losing its popularity with increased awareness of dental care.
However, it’s still a popular enough sentiment that many parents wonder if spending money to protect a baby tooth is really worth it. Shouldn’t you just let nature take its course and let it fall out? Well, no – you shouldn’t.
If your child has a damaged or weakened tooth, they’re at risk for further breakage and premature tooth loss. Losing a tooth before they’re supposed to, is harmful because the baby teeth have a specific job to do besides helping your child eat, speak, and maintain their smile.
These things are also very important and become hindered when missing a tooth. It’s crucial to preserve the health of your child’s baby teeth because when it’s lost too soon, there is an empty space until the permanent tooth is due to erupt. In some cases, this could be another few years.
By then, the surrounding teeth can drift, causing orthodontic problems or even blocking the space the permanent tooth needs to erupt. This is why we place space maintainers when a tooth is lost too soon, to prevent these issues. Your child may need a crown if they have had a pulpotomy, a large filling, a fractured tooth, or enamel erosion.
Can My Child Get Decay Under Their Crown?
Yes, if your child doesn’t practice good oral hygiene by regularly brushing and flossing, then decay can develop in the underlying tooth.
This will require removing the crown to treat so it’s best for your oral health and your wallet to prevent cavities through regular brushing, flossing, and attending regular dental cleanings. Decay can form in the underlying tooth because there is a small amount of space at the gum line, where the gums and crown meet, that exposes the tooth to bacteria.
If you don’t remove food particles and bacteria, you will be left with plaque buildup that causes acid attacks which eat away at your tooth enamel, forming cavities. While a crown will protect your tooth from damage and wear and tear, it doesn’t prevent the consequences of a poor oral hygiene routine.
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