What You Need to Know About Dental Crowns For Kids
Your child's dentist has just informed you that they need a crown. You're probably thinking if crowns on baby teeth are really necessary for children. Why not extract the tooth and wait for the permanent tooth to emerge?
The answer is straightforward: it's an investment in your child's long-term health. As juvenile jaws expand, voids left by teeth that were removed early due to disease or even injury can lead to significant dental disorders later in life. The teeth will move as the jawbone grows if the baby teeth do not function as a placeholder for permanent teeth. This movement might result in overcrowding, mismatched teeth, and the need for orthodontic treatment in the future. It might potentially lead to a slew of other dental procedures.
As a result, most dentists would strongly advise installing a crown rather than extracting the baby tooth totally to prevent your child from unnecessary dental treatments and expenditures.
But what can you anticipate from the procedure? What a great question! We'll walk you through everything step by step in this blog, so you and your child know precisely what to expect before surgery.
1. Preliminary Consultation
The dentist will need to do an oral exam to determine whether a dental crown is required. They will examine for evidence of tooth decay, damage, and other problems that can be fixed with a crown.
Depending on the circumstances, your child's crown installation operation may be performed at a separate session or immediately following their oral exam.
2. Cleaning, Numbing, And Preparing The Tooth
Your child will be given a local anesthetic, and then they will need to sit very still while the dentist puts a protective covering on their gums to keep them from being damaged.
The tooth will be given a thorough cleaning to remove any leftover decay or plaque that wasn't removed from the previous visit.
Using a drill, a small hole will be chiseled through the top of your child's tooth. Then, a temporary crown will be placed over the tooth to keep it from breaking or shifting.
If the dentist needs to remove decay, the tooth will be numbed again, and the decay removal procedure will be repeated until the decay has been removed.
What to Expect After the Procedure
It is critical to prevent eating immediately following the surgery until your child's numbness has entirely gone off. Waiting until the anesthesia wears off will save your youngster from biting their lip or cheek and injuring themselves.
It is common for youngsters to be in pain for up to 24 hours following the treatment. The inflammation of the pulp and soft tissue around the tooth causes this discomfort. Over-the-counter medications, such as children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen, will alleviate the discomfort. If the discomfort lasts more than 24 hours, it is critical that you call your child's dentist straight away.
Maintenance
Dental crowns, like natural teeth, must be cleaned and replaced as needed, significantly if they acquire rough edges that encourage plaque. Make sure your child practices good oral hygiene and goes to the dentist regularly.
Conclusion
Depending on the child's age and dental needs, a dental crown is just another necessary procedure in your child's dental journey. If a dental crown is necessary for your child, getting it placed as soon as possible will pay off later in their oral health.
Get in touch with a cosmetic dentist in Murfreesboro, TN, by contacting Cosmetic Dentistry of Murfreesboro today! Founded by Murfreesboro dentist Dr. Greg Nicholson, we have been brightening smiles for over 25 years with services such as bridges, bonding, crowns, and state-of-the-art sedation dentistry! Book your appointment right now!