Dental crowns are used to cover teeth with large cavities that fillings can’t repair. Dental crowns act as a protective covering over the tooth, preventing chips, fractures, breakage and future decay. Often if a child has a large cavity on a baby tooth, a silver crown will be required to fix it to save the tooth.
Why Are Baby Teeth Important?
It is essential to fix the cavity with a silver crown instead of pulling the tooth out because the baby tooth is needed for essential functions such as speaking and chewing. The baby tooth also acts as a space holder for the future adult tooth, and if lost prematurely, it can cause the adult tooth to erupt out of position, leading to the need for braces down the line. If a baby tooth is extracted prematurely, it can also lead to shifting of adjacent and opposing baby teeth.
Why a Silver Crown?
Silver crowns are used instead of white crowns because the material is less costly, and they are easy to place on top of any size of the baby tooth. Instead of a white dental crown being explicitly made for the tooth, the tooth is sized down and adjusted to fit the silver crown. Silver crowns are the preferred crown because they fit correctly to the teeth, are less costly, and typically last until the tooth falls out on its own.
Silver Crown Procedure
The cavity is first removed from the baby tooth, leaving only a healthy tooth structure. The tooth is then sized and shaped to fit the silver crown on top comfortably. Once at the right shape, the silver crown is cemented into place, and the bite is checked.
Important Info
- Periodically, once a year or so, the silver crown and surrounding teeth will need to be x-rayed to check the health of the roots
- Silver crowns should be cleaned the same way as natural teeth, with brushing twice a day and flossing once a day
- When the baby tooth becomes loose and is eventually lost, the crown will come out in one piece
- A silver crown typically costs around the same amount as a white filling
If you have any questions about silver crowns for kids, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment.