Dental Crowns

Children’s love for sweets and not knowing how to properly brush and floss their teeth can lead to cavities and other dental damage. Most times, we can treat these problems with composite fillings. However, a dental crown procedure becomes necessary for your kids when the damage is too great to fix with a filling.

What Are Dental Crowns?

A dental crown is a restorative care treatment in which a tooth-shaped cap covers your child’s entire tooth surface. Crowns protect and strengthen teeth that cannot be restored with fillings while matching their size and color for a natural finish.

Why Do Kids’ Teeth Need Crowns?

A dental crown procedure might be necessary for kids with:

• Deeply decayed teeth 
• Teeth requiring large fillings
• Teeth treated with root canals
• Broken or fractured teeth and fillings

While dental crowns are most commonly used over adult teeth, baby teeth can require crowns, too. A crown over a baby tooth retains the jaw shape while permanent teeth grow in, helps the child chew and speak normally, and prevents further infection.

Types of Dental Crowns for Kids

Various types of dental crowns are available that are made out of different materials. Some of the most popular options include:

• Stainless Steel Crowns

  Stainless steel or silver crowns are the perfect option for molars where aesthetics is not a concern. These crowns are highly durable and resilient.

• Pre-Veneered Stainless Steel Crowns

  In this dental crown procedure, crowns have a white composite component attached to the metal surface to create a more natural look. However, sometimes the stainless steel might show through.

• All-Ceramic Zirconia Crowns

  Zirconia crowns are ideal for covering more visible teeth as they create the most aesthetically-pleasing and natural-looking results. They are also biocompatible and great for kids with metal allergies.

We can help you choose the best material for your kids based on their:

• Tooth’s visibility 
• Position of gum tissue
• Color of surrounding teeth
• Tooth’s location and function

Dental Crown Procedure

We will begin the procedure after determining whether your kids’ teeth actually do need crowns. The treatment usually takes two visits, and it goes like this:

1. Dr. DeLisle will examine your child’s teeth and X-rays. 
2. He will prepare the damaged tooth by trimming down some outer parts of it after numbing the area with the appropriate sedation method.
3. Your child may also need a root canal treatment, depending on the severity of the damage.
4. The dentist will then make an impression of your child’s tooth.
5. He will place a temporary crown on the exposed tooth to protect it until the permanent crown is ready.
6. The first step of the dental crown procedure is completed, and you can go home.
7. The impression will be sent to a lab for crown fabrication. This step may take a week or two.
8. When the permanent crown is ready, Dr. DeLisle will remove the temporary one and cement the new crown on your child’s tooth.
9. The procedure is done, and your child can enjoy the new tooth.

Dental Crowns for Kids in Lolo

You can get the best dental crowns for your kids at our equipped clinic here at Children’s Dentistry in Lolo. Our lead dentist, Dr. DeLisle has been restoring the smiles of children for over twelve years, and he can determine whether your kids’ teeth do need crowns. We are currently accepting new patients with no waitlist. So whether you’re in Missoula, Lolo, Florence, or anywhere in Western Montana, you can come to us for the dental crown procedure for your kids. Call us now and make an appointment. We can’t wait to hear from you.