Stainless Steel Crowns on baby teeth

[kekec]

Hi,

Our 2 year old needs a crown on the upper molar (2nd from the back) and we are worrying if a stainless steel silver crown will cause any emotional issues. Like other kids teasing etc.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

The other option is a white crown, but that requires general anestesia.

Thanks

Like other kids teasing etc.
He's TWO! the other kids wont give a shit

My youngest had them both sides but lower teeth from 4, no one has ever commented on them

Based on the DC I know they (a) won’t notice and (b) won’t tease. If they want to be beastly they’ll find something to be beastly about regardless but most DC I know are infinitely kinder about such things than the DC I grew up with.

Oh and he is 10 now, he lost one of them (and the tooth) recently

It’ll be there till about 13 though.

But it’s very far back. I don’t know how visible it will be.

They could last until 10 or so,

I have a gold crown on a bottom back molar and it's barely visible.

Are they just doing a temporary one? Otherwise I don't know why white would need a GA but not metal? I imagine it's the appointment for drilling down the tooth and possible root canal that would need the GA because it would be a long time to sit still. The fitting is a doddle in comparison (they put on a temp one and send away for making; the real thing is fitted a few weeks later IIRC).

Mine has one on a back molar. Other kids have them too. She had sedation to get it done and painted the other molars with sealant while they were at it. No one comments on it

I provide these routinely for my patients. Evidence shows they are an excellent way of restoring baby teeth, and if done correctly, likely to last until correct age of exfoliation.

No they are not temporary, they are designed to stay in place until the baby tooth exfoliates.

A stainless steel crown is very easy to place, as the material is malleable and very thin. A white crown requires tooth preparation (drilling) as the crown is thicker due to porcelain bonded to the metal. This is more destructive to the tooth, reduces long-term success, and obviously requires good cooperation from the child. Imagine the size of a baby tooth compared to an adult tooth - the porcelain has to be the same thickness (due to the way it is made).

You need to weight up

1. Stainless steel crown that is aesthetically less pleasing, but less invasive, doesn’t require a general anaesthetic and has high success rates
2. White crown that is less visible, but requires drilling on all sides of a baby tooth, increasing risk of nerve irritation, very technique sensitive, and much lower success rates, and a general anaesthetic (generally safe but you will always be warned about the very serious risks)

I doubt any anaesthetist in their right mind would anaesthetise a 2 year old to ELECTIVELY treat ONE baby tooth that:
a) isn’t causing any pain (if it’s causing pain, the nerve is already inflamed and the only option is a pulpotomy or extraction)
b) can be treated with a stainless steel crown, that is less invasive, doesn’t require a general anaesthetic and has higher success rates.