Why would my child’s tooth need a crown?

There are several reasons why your dentist might recommend placing a crown on your child’s tooth. The main reason is if the cavity on the tooth is large. Baby teeth are not just smaller versions of adult teeth. They have thinner layers of enamel, the protective outer layer. A thinner layer means that a cavity can grow and affect the nerve of the tooth faster than it could in an adult tooth. Once a cavity gets close to the nerve, it will likely need nerve treatment, often called a “baby root canal” this is not as invasive as an adult root canal, but it does leave the tooth weaker and more prone to breakage if not protected. Cavities often occur on more than one surface of a tooth, so instead of placing multiple fillings on one tiny tooth, a crown would cover all of the surfaces. The crown will protect the tooth from future decay and breakage.