Dental crowns are a kind of tooth-shaped covering attached to a tooth for the restoration of the tooth to its natural function and shape. Pediatric dentists recommend dental crowns for specific conditions such as a broken tooth, cavitated tooth (having cavities in primary teeth), root canal treated tooth, or an underdeveloped or not developed properly inborn (primary) tooth e.g MIH (Molar Incisor Hypomineralization). Dental crowns are durable and long-lasting more than fillings. Crowns last unless and until the inborn teeth fall out. Fractured and badly decayed teeth are unrepairable by a filling. As the filling will break or fall out which results in additional damage in future dental procedures. Dental crowns are quite effective for root canal-treated teeth. A tooth gets weaker when its nerve is removed as if you detached the core of the tooth. Negligence with the root canal treated tooth may lead to the utter breakage of the tooth which will end up as the extraction of the damaged tooth. Pediatric dentists prefer to avoid tooth extractions at any cost because it gives a child an unpleasant experience and is more costly for parents than dental crowns. Moreover, space maintainers will be required if the damaged tooth is extracted. The restoration and repair of inborn (primary) teeth are highly important as children begin to lose their inborn teeth after the age of 6. However, they don’t lose their baby molars until the age of 12 or 13 hence taking care of permanent teeth and preventing them from damaging them helps them grow in their appropriate direction. It also diminishes the chances of extensive orthodontic treatment for post damaged teeth. The enamel of inborn/baby teeth is thinner than that of permanent teeth, thus decay can spread rapidly between teeth. Dental crowns can protect the decayed tooth as well as prevent other teeth from being affected by infectious and decayed teeth. It is particularly recommended for the Children who grind their teeth at night to put on dental crowns in order to guard their teeth. As a further matter, it is also important to be aware of the types of dental crowns. There are majorly two types of Dental Crowns for children:
- Stainless Steel Crown
- Zirconia Crowns
It is a false fact that stainless steel crowns are made of mercury and they are not amalgamed (silver filling) is mostly used in dental filling. Stainless Steel Crowns are rather safe and made of inert material. However, you need to understand the difference between a Zirconia Crown and Stainless Steel Crown and which one is best to choose???
Features Stainless Steel Crown Zirconia Crown
Cost Cheap Expensive (twice as costly than stainless steel crowns)
Colour Silver White
Treatment Time Less time required for treatment More time required for treatment
Tooth Reduction Chances Less Tooth Reduction Eg. Total 5mm More Tooth Reduction Eg. 15 mm
Durability Strong (Almost impossible to break) Brittle (Easy to break)