Dental Crowns in Surprise, AZ
Dental Crowns for Children
You probably associate dental crowns with damaged or missing teeth in adults. But a pediatric dentist may also recommend a crown for preventive care and special health care considerations for your child. Call Surprise Pediatric Dentistry at 602-730-6481 to learn more about pediatric crowns.
What Is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a cap structured to fit over a damaged tooth. A crown mimics the look and feel of a normal tooth while maintaining the structural integrity of the mouth and jaw.
A crown typically consists of:
- Porcelain
- Resin
- Ceramic
- A composite of all the above materials
Why Does My Child Need a Dental Crown?
If a child’s baby tooth has advanced tooth decay or is malformed, a pediatric dentist often recommends a crown rather than removing the tooth altogether. Most dentists advise against extracting the baby tooth before it’s ready to come out.
Rather, a pediatric dentist usually recommends keeping the tooth because the teeth around a missing baby tooth may crowd into the gap. This overcrowding prevents the adult tooth from fully emerging, causing discomfort and crooked teeth.
Dental Crown Procedure
- The dentist takes an impression (molding) of the tooth and surrounding teeth. This impression helps the dentist create a well-fitting crown.
- The dentist removes the affected portion of the decayed tooth to make room for the crown.
- A temporary crown is placed while the impression is sent to the lab to fabricate a permanent crown.
- The dentist removes the temporary and places the permanent crown over the now-partial tooth. The dentist then evaluates the crown’s comfort and fit with the patient. If all looks and feels satisfactory, the dentist permanently glues the crown in place.
Dental Crown Recovery
The numbing agents and sedation a patient receives for the crown wear off post-appointment. When this wears off, it may cause irritation and discomfort around the affected tooth. Children’s ibuprofen can help lessen the pain, which should disappear in a few days.
However, if your child complains of persistent pain in or around the crown, call their dentist as soon as possible.
Dental Crown Aftercare
A dental crown is as durable as any other healthy tooth. However, it can break under the impact of extremely hard, crunchy foods, so steer your child away from such foods.
Moreover, a crown is also vulnerable to tooth decay. So, make sure your child:
- Brushes with a fluoride-based toothpaste twice a day.
- Flosses once a day.
- Avoids sugar.
- Visits a pediatric dentist every six months for regular check-ups.
At some point, your child’s baby tooth containing the crown will either fall out naturally or require extraction. In that case, your child no longer needs the crown. The crown has done its job of making room for the adult tooth, and the tooth can grow comfortably!
Dental Crown Aftercare
Surprise Pediatric Dentistry provides full-service pediatric dentistry and performs expert crown placements for infants, children, and teens. Our team looks forward to giving your child a healthy smile and top-quality dental care. Call us at 602-730-6481 to book an appointment today!
