Most people are familiar with dental crowns for adults and their functions in restoring smiles. However, only a few are aware of pediatric dental crowns. Read on to learn about dental crowns for baby teeth. Also, find out when you should visit the children’s dentist in Lincoln, NE, for kids’ crowns.
What Is a Dental Crown?
It is a tooth-like cap placed over a tooth to restore its function and appearance. A dental crown entirely encases a decayed, discolored, or damaged tooth. Getting dental crowns near you helps a child eat, speak and socialize easily. These crowns function briefly and fall out when the baby’s teeth fall off.
Dental crowns are customized to restore the tooth’s shape, size, strength, and color. They can be made from stainless steel, resin, composite, polycarbonate, or Zirconia. These materials have different specifications suitable for various issues. Therefore, the Lincoln pediatric dentist must examine your child’s teeth before recommending an ideal crown type.
The dental crown procedure is fast, non-invasive, and pain-free. Therefore, it is suitable for kids of all ages. You can opt for traditional or same-day crowns near you. Traditional crowns require two visits to the dentist for preparation, fabrication, and placement. As the name suggests, same-day crowns are prepared and placed on the same day.
When Dental Crowns for Kids Can Be Necessary
There are several reasons why your child may need a dental crown for their baby teeth. Some of the common reasons for a pediatric crown are highlighted below.
- Crowns fill large cavities on baby teeth eliminating pain and discomfort.
- They repair and strengthen cracked, chipped, or worn-down teeth.
- Tooth-colored crowns aesthetically enhance discolored or stained teeth.
- If your child has a root canal treatment, the dentist may protect the treated tooth with a crown.
- They enable a decayed or damaged tooth last longer. This helps prevent premature tooth loss, which can result in the necessity for orthodontic treatment later.
Oral Care Advice for Children
Proper care of a child’s teeth contributes to a lifetime of excellent oral health. However, several parents are uncertain about how much dental care their children need. Below are some tips to help you provide appropriate oral care for your child.
- Brush their teeth twice daily with a brand of fluoride toothpaste if they are too little to do it themselves. Help them until they acquire good brushing techniques. Always supervise a child younger than six years old when brushing.
- When two of your baby’s teeth touch, floss their teeth daily or help them floss. This helps prevent cavities between their teeth.
- Encourage them to drink tap water that contains fluoride for stronger teeth. Also, you can get fluoride treatments from the Lincoln pediatric dentist.
- Help them prevent decay by avoiding putting them to sleep with a bottle. Sugars from the milk, formula, or juice pool around their teeth and erode the enamel. Once they turn six months old, switch from a bottle to a sippy cup.
- Ensure that they consume foods and drinks that are tooth-friendly. Therefore avoid giving them sugary and acidic things as much as possible. Have the kids brush or rinse their mouths to wash away the sugar whenever they take such things.
- Ask a children’s dentist to apply dental sealants to your child’s teeth when appropriate. Sealants help prevent cavities.
- Take them for regular dental checkups at least twice yearly after their first birthday.
Are Your Kid’s Baby Teeth in Good Health?
Baby teeth will eventually fall out to make way for permanent teeth. However, they should remain healthy as they establish excellent lifelong oral health. One issue that affects baby teeth and ruins their health is decay. Tooth decay can occur when the first teeth appear, leading to several issues.
Therefore you should always ensure your child’s baby teeth remain in good health. You can visit the Lincoln pediatric dentist when your child’s first tooth erupts. They will help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health throughout your child’s life.
One such dentist is Dr Rebecca Scott and her well-trained and highly experienced team. The expert specializes in helping kids of all ages have healthy, bright, and confident smiles. Schedule an appointment for your child at Lincoln Children’s Dentistry for same-day dental crowns near you.
