Pediatric Dental Crowns
Baby teeth may be small, but these temporary teeth play a big role in your child's development and should be saved if possible.
If a tiny molar suffers a deep cavity or trauma, Children's Dental of Waltham may recommend a stainless steel dental crown.
Learn why the kid-friendly dentists at our Waltham, MA, practice make saving baby teeth a priority.
We're Multilingual! Care in Your Native Language
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Parents play an important role in helping their children during dental visits. To help more parents collaborate with our dentists, our team speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Romanian.
Baby Teeth Are Temporary... Why Do They Need Dental Crowns?
Parents often ask why we bother saving a baby tooth damaged by cavities when it's going to replaced by a permanent tooth later on.
While baby teeth are temporary, they are an important "first act" for your child's permanent teeth.
When you bring your child in to rescue a damaged tooth with a pediatric dental crown, you are doing much more than restoring the tooth's shape, size, and function. You are setting the stage for your child's future development.
The crowned tooth:
- Acts as a placeholder for the permanent tooth, guiding it into position and reducing the chances of extensive orthodontic treatment later
- Aids in the normal development of your child's jawbone and muscles
- Allows for proper speech development
- Makes chewing and following a healthy diet easier
Why a Stainless Steel Crown?
Stainless steel crowns completely cover a tooth and are the most commonly used crowns in pediatric dentistry, largely because they are so effective at protecting baby teeth. They are also simpler to apply than porcelain and other materials. While tiny, these are permanent crowns designed to stay in place until the tooth falls out naturally. Pediatric crowns:
- Are durable, but inexpensive
- Are easy to place and usually require just one visit
- Can save the tooth from extraction
- Can be used to cover a tooth that has not formed correctly
- Come as pre-made shells that can be easily customized to fit the tooth
What If the Tooth Is Highly Visible?
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If the damaged tooth is towards the front of the mouth and more visible, tooth-colored materials such as porcelain can be considered so the result looks more like a natural tooth.
We Treat Young Patients Like Family
Eliza Cerjim
Waltham, MA
2023
For the first time, Miss SARA attended us, she is very kind, she knows English and Spanish. She was very close to my son. My son is very nervous when it comes to having appointments with the dentist, but with her he felt very comfortable and happy, willing to collaborate. Thank you miss, it's good to see how well you do her job. I'm sure the other girls do an excellent job
View on GoogleYeimy Delgado
Waltham, MA
2022
Floricel higienista me encanta su atención con los niños , les canta y eso les fascina a ellos , es por eso que me encanta venir a esta clínica porque mis 2 hijos de 5 y 7 años se sienten seguros. De estar aquí ya tengo 3 años en esta clínica y no cambiaría por nada esta clínica
View on GoogleI'm Worried My Child Will Be Scared
We understand that the unfamiliar sights and sounds of a dental practice can be concerning for children. That's why the dentists and staff at Children's Dental of Waltham go out of their way to create a warm, reassuring environment. They are trained in gentle techniques that will help make your child feel safe, from our front lobby to the treatment rooms. Our pediatric dentist's office in Waltham also offers soothing sedation dentistry if it's the right choice to help calm any fears.
Gentle Dentistry With WaterLase Virtually Pain-Free Dentistry
This high-tech system uses water, air, and laser energy to quickly treat the area with virtually no pain, reducing the need for uncomfortable anesthetic injections.
What Happens During Treatment?
One of our dentists will first X-ray the tooth to determine if a filling can protect it or if a pediatric dental crown is needed to add strength. We'll also look to see if the inside of the tooth, the pulp, is infected. In that case, it will be necessary to perform a "baby" root canal, a pulpectomy, before placing the crown.
We offer gentle sedation dentistry so children can be comfortable throughout treatment.
The stainless steel cap is a permanent crown that is designed to stay in place until the baby tooth falls out naturally.
Are Costs a Concern? We Can Help!
Cavities spread quickly in baby teeth, which lack the thicker enamel of permanent teeth. That makes prompt dental care important. We accept insurance, but if you need help with out-of-pocket costs, we accept CareCredit® financing so your child can receive care when they need it.
