Sometimes, despite parents’ best efforts, kids get cavities. And treating a cavity in a baby tooth is just as important as treating a cavity in a permanent tooth. If your child develops a cavity, the dentist will likely treat it with a filling or a dental crown. Fillings are best suited for minor tooth decay and damage. Dental crowns, on the other hand, are more often used to treat severely damaged teeth. But, what are the benefits of stainless steel crowns for children?

Why treat cavities with stainless steel crowns for children?

If you’ve been to the dentist recently for a dental crown, your dentist may have treated you with a ceramic crown that looks, feels, and functions like your natural teeth. However, when it comes to dental crowns for kids, specifically when the cavity or decay is on the back teeth, stainless steel crowns are often a better solution.

Stainless steel is strong, durable, and still the primary material for dental crowns. Stainless steel crowns are tough and structurally sound, making them unlikely to break. And they’re often used for kids with issues with their baby molars. At Pediatric Dental Specialists, we often recommend stainless steel crowns for the back teeth (we recommend tooth-colored crowns for the front teeth). As so much of your kids’ chewing occurs with the back teeth, a stainless steel crown is more suitable to withstand the constant pressure. And, since stainless steel crowns for children are placed only on the back molars, they’re not as obvious when your child smiles.

Top 7 Advantages of Stainless Steel Crowns for Children

1. Highly Durable 

Stainless steel crowns are made from a mixture of iron, carbon, nickel, and other metals. The strength of stainless steel is desirable when a crown will be subject to risks of fracturing.

2. Work Better Than Large Fillings in Treating Severely Decayed Teeth

As mentioned above, crowns are better suited to treat minor tooth decay and damage. When there is a significant amount of decay, a dental crown can better protect the tooth from further damage, and, even worse, from premature tooth loss.

3. Safe Material for Children

It’s only natural for parents to wonder if the materials that will cover their child’s tooth are safe in the first place. And while it is infrequent, you can have an allergic reaction to a dental crown. That said, stainless steel is largely regarded as hypoallergenic, greatly reducing the risk of a negative reaction.

4. More Affordable 

Though ceramic or porcelain (used for tooth-colored crowns) are highly cost-effective materials for adults and front teeth in kids, it is more expensive than stainless steel. So for kids that need tooth decay treated on their baby teeth, stainless steel is often the more affordable choice. Most baby teeth begin to fall out naturally around age six. And molars come out a bit later—closer to age nine or older.

5. Easy to Care For

If your child gets a dental crown, whether it is stainless steel or tooth-colored, it can be cared for just like the rest of their natural teeth. Help your child brush their teeth twice a day, floss before bed, and rinse with a fluoridated mouthwash as soon as they are old enough to swish and spit.

6. Can Be Used After a Baby Root Canal or for Severe Tooth Decay

Though baby root canals are less common than those for adults, your Grand Island pediatrics team may recommend one when your child’s tooth is not repairable through a dental filling procedure. When baby teeth decay, they are at risk of falling out. Premature tooth loss in kids can cause tooth alignment issues, not to mention problems with speaking and eating. After a baby root canal, your child’s dentist will place a stainless steel dental crown over the damaged tooth to preserve it for as long as needed.

7. Can Be Used to Save a Badly Cracked or Chipped Tooth

Kids will be kids, and accidents do happen. If your child suffers a trip, fall, or other dental trauma, they may chip or crack a tooth. Rather than extracting the tooth, preserving whatever is left as a placeholder until your child’s permanent tooth arrives is better. And because stainless steel is so durable, it is an excellent solution for a cracked or chipped rear baby molar.

Contact Pediatric Dental Specialists if your child needs a dental crown.

If you believe your child needs a dental crown, you want a second opinion, or you are looking for a new pediatric dentist, you’ve come to the right place. We are your pediatric dental partner from infancy through adolescence. Request an appointment today so we can help you protect and preserve your child’s smile.