Dental Crowns in San Marcos, CA
When a baby tooth has large decay or decay on multiple surfaces it may be necessary to put a crown on the tooth to keep it in place until the adult tooth comes through. Crowns are also placed when cavities are larger and the nerve of the tooth needs to be cleaned out. Depending on the clinical situation of the tooth, we will recommend one of three types of crowns:
- Stainless steel – The back teeth need extra protection from chewing. Stainless steel crowns are stronger than tooth-colored crowns and normally last until the teeth naturally fall out. Although these crowns are silver colored, they do not contain mercury and are the same material as the stainless steel forks and knives we eat with every day.
- White Composite – For most children, the front teeth can be covered with a tooth-colored crown
- White Zirconia Crown – In some cases a white zirconia crown may be placed on the back teeth. However, these crowns do not work for all situations and we will only recommend and do what we believe is best long term for your child.
A crown can be placed in as little as two visits here at Pediatric Dentistry of San Marcos. The process is very straightforward. First, your child’s dentist will give your child some sort of sedative or anesthetic like numbing gel, or nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Next, the dentist will carefully shape down in size using special equipment. While doing this, he or she will remove any infected or decayed matter remaining on the tooth. Afterwards, a crown will be carefully fitted over the tooth like a glove.
Don’t hesitate to call Pediatric Dentistry of San Marcos at 760-798-2825 if you’d like to learn more or schedule your child’s appointment. We always look forward to meeting our new patients!