Dental crowns play a central role in protecting vulnerable teeth. They act like a shield for natural teeth when they’re too damaged to survive on their own — and this holds true at any age.
Here at Kids Dental Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, we take pediatric dental care seriously. Our talented pediatric dentist Bosede Adeniji, DDS, and friendly team believe in giving our patients high-quality dental care, starting from very early in their lives.
Just like adults, kids sometimes need extra help protecting their teeth. Recent statistics show that 21% of kids aged 2-5 and more than half of older kids aged 2-5 have cavities today.
In addition, almost 50% of children have accidents involving their teeth at some point. Common examples include breaking a tooth during sports or auto accidents.
With tooth damage being so common in kids, it’s no surprise that certain standard responses (like dental fillings) aren’t always adequate. We may recommend crowns for children whose teeth are at risk for too-early tooth loss. But, is your child too young for a crown? We explain below.
There’s no lower or upper age range on dental crowns. It all depends on your child’s needs. Some very young toddlers, even just 1-2 years old, may occasionally need dental crowns.
Your child’s baby teeth work like placeholders. They help keep the normal mouth and jaw development on track and ensure that your child’s adult teeth will be able to grow normally later on.
If your child loses a baby tooth prematurely, they could develop tooth alignment problems that require orthodontics later.
All of this means that it’s vitally important to keep baby teeth in place until they naturally fall out.
When kids have severe tooth decay or any other type of major tooth damage, the tooth can’t survive on its own. So, as soon as your child has teeth, they could be a candidate for a crown in those situations.
Many parents ask us whether their child will still lose their baby tooth normally if they have a crown. The answer is yes. When we place dental crowns in children, we create custom-made restorations that fit your child’s tooth right now. They’re not meant to be permanent crowns like adults get.
While pediatric dental crowns are sturdy, they’re not attached to the gums, only the tooth. When your child’s adult tooth erupts, it pushes the baby tooth and the crown covering it up. So, the process is just the same as with no crown.
At Kids Dental Center, we’re experts in gentle pediatric dentistry. Dr. Adeniji uses special techniques to remove damaged tooth material and place dental crowns without pain, and her extra-gentle approach helps children relax during their procedure.
Does your child need a dental crown? We make the process easy. Phone our office at 301-345-2881 or contact us online to get support today.
