We tend to take care of our necessities; however, do we pay heed to our kid’s oral hygiene the way we ought to? Well, the answer may differ from person to person. Nevertheless, one thing is quite prevalent even among those who are cautious towards their oral health, and that is a cavity! The food we eat sometimes gets stuck in our teeth in the form of debris on which the bacteria feed and release acid to destroy our teeth. That creates a hole in the tooth, which leads to what we call a cavity or a decayed tooth. Visiting the doctor for traditional treatments now and then can be stressful, especially when that is painful, right?
Doctors have come up with alternatives, one of them being implantation of stainless steel crown for kids. This can be one of the best treatments for your young one. Here, the doctor drills away some portion of the decayed tooth and use the crown as a covering, while also ensuring a great fit. You can have your kid’s tooth fixed using the secure and comfortable kids crown quite effectively and at low costs.
In this article, we shall dwell over the intricacies of how beneficial a steel crown is, especially for children, and whether it can help fight tooth decay. We shall first discuss why and how we use dental crowns along with its advantages and disadvantages, and further move on to the need to do it the right way.
Read on to find more about it.
Why Dental Crowns?
A dental crown is a prosthetic tooth made out of porcelain, ceramic or even metals. If you dwell in-depth, you will discover that the dental crowns are multifarious. It implies that they can be used for several purposes. For instance, dentists use crowns to attach bridges, prevent weak teeth from damaging further, or to cover a discoloured tooth. Can dental crowns be used even for curing a decayed tooth? Well, straightforwardly, the answer is YES! Dental crowns are so efficient for kids that they can fix an acute tooth cavity problem. The combination of fillings and stainless steel crown works fantastic for fixing this dental problem.
The Procedure
The first step is to get your child’s teeth examined by the dentist. A rigorous checkup ensures that they get the right size of the crown. Erin Mahoney and Timothy Johnston, in their book ‘Handbook of Pediatric Dentistry’ mention that the stainless steel crowns or SSCs are useful for restoring the cavity-stuck tooth. The checkup is followed up by the tooth-reshaping or trimming process. Using various processes (like digital scanner, putty or paste application, etc), the dentist will take an impression of the tooth to get the exact size for the crown. When the crown is ready, they will implant it over your child’s damaged tooth so that he/she can have a decay-free mouth.
Advantages
Given below are several reasons why you can trust the stainless steel crowns as one of the best options for the damaged tooth:
- The Manufacturing Benefits: These crowns are manufactured using a blend of metals like iron, carbon, chromium and many more. The significant advantage is that it makes the crown corrosion-resistant, which otherwise could be aggravated by saliva.
- Inexpensive- You need not go for expensive treatments when an affordable, yet effective option is available at your nearest dentist. The stainless steel crown, in general, is cost-friendly and allows your kids to have the brightest smile without emptying your pockets. It is quite handy for the little ones because the crowns are designed to easily fall-off when their primary teeth go down.
- Strong and Durable: With an SSC, this gives metal protection over the tooth. Naturally, they are bound to be durable and last longer. Moreover, these are permanent; you wouldn’t need to visit the doctor quite often to get it replaced or repaired. Isn’t this a sigh of relief?
- Keeps the tooth away from cavities: Since the tooth is completely covered, or protected with the crown, there isn’t any room for the bacteria to harm it further. This kind of crown is most useful for children who show reluctance in frequent dentist-visits.
Disadvantages
Like every coin has two faces, these crowns too, possess certain downsides. Let’s have a quick look at them:
- The Grey Look: Alright, by now, you might have already imagined a grey tinge in your kid’s smile. It is one of the significant drawbacks of this crown, which can give poor aesthetics to their teeth. At first you will feel quite weird, however, once you get it right, and feel its worth, you will soon forget about that!
- The risk of allergy: Well, you never know if they have an allergy with a certain kind of metal contacts. Since the stainless steel crown is attached to the teeth, it might trigger absolute unpleasant results. Hence, you must check with your dentist if it is best suited for their oral hygiene.
The Need for Professional Care
Nevertheless, you need the advice, expertise, and support of a professional to help you guide over the entire process. These are tough procedures which must not be attempted at home. Always seek out an appointment with your dentist to get the perfect dental crown for your kid. You just require a visit or two, to prevent their decaying teeth from any more damage.
Conclusion
If your kid has tooth cavities, you don’t just get them removed. Tooth extraction leaves a gap, and that might look odd. Moreover, it can lead to shifting of the teeth from its proper position. Hence, one of the best alternatives you can seek for is visiting the professional and getting a stainless steel crown for them. These are best-suited to fight cavities in case of kids with primary teeth that can fall off along with the crown. Moreover, since they are made of metal, they will never let the cavities come back to the tooth by adding a protective cover.
