Cavities are surprisingly common in children. Around half of 6 to 8-year-olds have signs of tooth decay, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many of those cases can be treated with fillings, some children may require their local pediatric dentist to place a special cap known as a dental crown on the affected tooth.
Are you familiar with the benefits of dental crowns? In this article, we will highlight the top seven benefits of this effective restorative treatment.
1. Maintain Natural Bite
Your pediatric dentist’s top priority is helping your child maintain his or her natural biting patterns. Those patterns are crucial for preventing dental crowding. The bite pattern also affects your child’s facial symmetry and how their jaws develop.
Preserving a natural tooth allows your kiddo to speak, bite, and chew normally. A natural bite also prevents uneven wear on enamel. Dental crowns are carefully sized to match the child’s natural teeth so they can eat with ease and comfort.
2. Boost the Child’s Self-Esteem
A child’s self-esteem can be adversely affected by a broken or missing tooth. Dental defects that are not corrected can lead your child to avoid smiling or laughing among friends. This can affect their social interactions with peers.
Dental crowns can prevent social development problems. With a natural-looking dental crown, your child will feel comfortable being themselves. Our dental team uses zirconia crowns that closely mimic the luster and color of enamel.
3. Keep a Natural Tooth as Long as Possible
The goal of pediatric dentistry is to preserve natural teeth wherever possible. Placing a crown on a weak baby took prevents the need for dental extraction. The crown protects the natural tooth and prevents it from becoming too brittle or infected.
In some cases, the crown can augment small teeth to prevent them from drifting out of alignment. Maintaining the natural baby tooth also helps the adult tooth come in with the proper alignment, which can prevent the need for orthodontic treatment.
4. Help with Clarity of Speech
Children can be very self-conscious about their speech. Damaged or misshapen teeth can lead to speech problems that leave your child feeling insecure.
This is because the size, shape, and location of teeth play an important role in speech. If your child has a speech impediment, consult with your trusted pediatric dentist about the possible need for a dental crown appointment. Placing a dental crown can prevent the development of speech problems.
5. Reduce Enamel Wear
Your dentist may advise placing a dental crown on your child’s tooth to prevent further enamel wear. High-sugar diets, genetics, and other factors can lead certain teeth to become worn. This places your child at risk of developing cavities or even needing a more invasive procedure.
Placing a natural-looking dental crown on the worn tooth protects the tooth from further damage. It can even prevent enamel wear along adjacent teeth. Our office uses special zirconia crowns that are highly durable.
6. Restore Oral Health
Dental crowns are a restorative treatment. This means that their main function is to restore optimal oral health to your child. Often, children seek dental crowns because they are experiencing discomfort.
Worn enamel can leave teeth overly sensitive to cold and hot drinks. Some children require dental crowns to address significant tooth decay and other dental problems. Once your pediatric dentist places a custom crown, your child can enjoy restored oral health and alleviation of discomfort.
7. Save Money
Did you know dental crowns can actually save you money? The custom-made caps place a protective barrier around teeth that keeps bacteria away from the sensitive inner pulp.
Without a dental crown, your child may develop jaw problems, tooth decay, tooth alignment issues, and other serious dental problems that may require costly treatments. Once a dental crown is placed, you won’t have to worry about your child developing more serious complications.
How Are Dental Crowns Placed?
Our dentist will place your child’s dental crown with his or her comfort in mind. Beyond local anesthesia that completely numbs the treatment site, our pediatric dentist offers various forms of sedation that allow your child to relax throughout the treatment.
Preparing the Tooth
Once your child is completely relaxed, Dr. Jane-Katherine Jones will gently remove small amounts of enamel using a special tool. Then, she will take images and impressions of the tooth before fabricating a custom zirconia crown. Zirconia is an incredibly strong material that looks like enamel.
Placing the Dental Crown
Dr. Jones will use a special dental cement to place the crown on the tooth. The crown and cement will hold the crown in place until the adult tooth comes in. Once Dr. Jones places the crown, your child will need to brush the crown just like he or she would a natural tooth.
Maintaining the Dental Crown
Crowns are incredibly durable, but the underlying tooth structure can still develop tooth decay. Having your child brush at least twice a day while scheduling regular visits to our Lexington, KY, dental practice can ensure that the cap maintains a strong bond.
Learn More Benefits of Dental Crowns
As we covered in this article, there are many benefits of dental crowns. Whether to protect damaged teeth or prevent future dental problems, the protective caps offer a versatile treatment option that will give your child something to really smile about.
Dr. Jones and the team at Beaumont Kids Dentistry strive to provide the best pediatric dental care possible. Contact our office today to schedule your dental crown consultation.