Dental Crowns Aurora

Dental crowns are a fixed prosthetic restoration that is affixed to the tooth’s enamel. Using dental cement or glue, the dentist will place the crown over areas that are in need of repair. There is a wide variety of dental crowns – they can be made of porcelain, metal alloy, composite resin, or ceramics. At Epic Dentistry for Kids, our Aurora pediatric dentist offers both aesthetically pleasing white zirconia and strong stainless steel.  

Dental crowns can be used for both restorative and cosmetic purposes. The dentist will usually recommend a dental crown to fix a damaged tooth that’s not working properly or causing your child pain. Here are a common reasons you may need a dental crown:

• Large cavity that can’t be filled
• Cracked tooth
• Weak tooth
• Tooth protection post root canal treatment

Too much tooth decay can result in the loss of tooth structure, making it difficult for white filling to hold up. When this happens, a silver crown will ensure that the tooth has minimal risk of fracturing because it acts as a protective structure. This can also reduce the risk of developing new cavities or tooth infections. Dental crowns also hide any grooves, discolorations, or misshapen parts of the original tooth.

In the case of a baby root canal or pulpotomy, a stainless steel crown will be needed to protect the tooth to help it last longer.

Dental crowns act like replacement teeth. They cover the top of the tooth to protect it and keep the remains of the tooth together inside. Since they’re created with durable materials such as metal and ceramic, they can endure chewing, brushing, and other oral functions like any other tooth.

Installing a Aurora dental crown can take a few appointments, but this is the general process:

1. Numbing the area: For a quick and painless procedure, the pediatric dentist will numb the area of operation to remove the decay in or around it without hurting the child.
2. Resculpting the tooth: The dental crown needs a stable structure to be attached to, so the dentist will remove any damaged parts of the enamel and clean the remaining tooth structure. Then, the enamel will be shaved down to make space for a natural-looking implant
3. Fitting the crown: To ensure the crown fits the tooth well, the kids’ dentist will make an impression of the tooth using putty or a digital scanner. There are also prefabricated silver crowns that can be fitted on the tooth to find the correct size. This will be sent to a dental laboratory where the crown will be custom-made to fit the patient.
4. Attaching the crown: Finally, the crown will be adjusted to properly fit the tooth and bite. Then, the dentist will use a special cement to secure the crown to the tooth.

The dental crown should restore the shape, strength, functionality, and appearance of your child’s damaged tooth. It’s especially important for children to get their teeth treated by the dentist, so they can maintain the balance of their bite to avoid future orthodontic problems.

“Permanent” dental crowns can last long periods of time, anywhere from 5 – 25 years, depending on the material and wear. However, kids will grow out their adult teeth eventually, so their crowns won’t need to last any longer than 10 years.

After the procedure, proper care is still needed to ensure the crown remains in good condition, so the gums, jaws, and teeth can develop properly. With good oral hygiene, dental crowns should last until the baby tooth exfoliates. If you think it’s time for your child’s dental crown to get a touchup or replacement, ask the pediatric dentist at their next checkup.

No, getting dental crowns should be relatively painless. During the operation, the pediatric dentist will give your child a shot of local anesthetic into the gums just in case, but there’s usually little no pain since the procedure is just cementing the crown onto the tooth.

If your child is afraid of the operation, our pediatric dentist will take the time to explain every step beforehand to make your child feel safe. Dr. Patterson is trained to manage behaviors and communicate with children effectively. They may feel some sensitivity or soreness around the dental crown as they get used to them later on but nothing extreme.