Crowns (Caps)
Protect and keep badly decayed or fractured teeth
The Problem
• Badly decayed teeth.
• Fractured teeth.
• Need to protect and strengthen teeth.
• Tooth has had a baby root canal “pulpotomy”.
The Solution
A crown (often called a cap) covers the tooth and restores it to its original shape and size. Decay is removed and cleaned from the tooth and a preformed crown is placed over the tooth. Unlike adult crowns, in which the crown is made to fit the tooth, which require 2 appointments, baby crowns are placed in one visit, because the tooth is prepared to fit the crown.
Advantages
Crowns are incredibly strong due to the fact that they are cover the entire tooth. This protects and strengthens the remaining tooth structure. They are the best chance for survival of a tooth that has had a baby root canal.
Disdvantages
Crowns are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages, however most children’s crowns are silver in color.
Alternatives
Typically there are no good alternatives to crowns. If the tooth has sustained enough damage to require a crown then the best prognosis for the tooth is to receive the crown. Placing a filling on a tooth that should have a crown will likely result in fracture, recurrent decay, and loss of that tooth.