You’ve heard all about dental crowns for adults. However, your pediatric dentist in North Seattle is suggesting a crown for your child. Your child could be as young as two and the crown is the recommendation.
Is this a ploy to gain more money? You can always get a second opinion—and this is always worth doing if you’re unsure about someone—but there are genuine reasons for a child to get a crown. This isn’t a treatment that’s as invasive or difficult as an adult crown.
There are two main reasons for a crown to be recommended on children. You may even be prepared for one of them.
Tooth Decay Is a Risk for Other Baby Teeth and Adult Teeth
If your child has a cavity in a baby tooth, the dentist will consider fillings and crowns. This will depend on the age of the child and the tooth that is a problem. If it’s one of the front teeth and your child is getting close to losing it, your dentist may recommend extraction instead. That tooth is going to fall out around the ages of four or six depending on when the tooth came in.
It’s estimated that around 42% of children between two and 11 will have one cavity at the very least. This isn’t something that makes you a bad parent. There are a lot of reasons for cavities to happen. Genetics certainly plays a part, and a good pediatric dentist in North Seattle understands that.
The best thing to do is to place a crown over some teeth. This is usually recommended on the back teeth. It helps to prevent further damage and supports the other teeth in the area. It can also help to protect the adult teeth because you’ll protect the gums.
Broken or Chipped Teeth Can Need Crowns
There is one reason that you’ll likely be ready for. It’s all about chipped and broken teeth. Children have accidents all the time. One of the common reasons a pediatric dentist in North Seattle will see a child is because of an accident.
Children fall over on playgrounds, or they may be daredevils in the house. There’s only so much you can do as a parent. As they get older and start playing sports, they can face trauma to the mouth that leads to chipped and broken teeth.
Your dentist is going to want to protect that tooth rather than pull it. The best way is through a crown.
