Stainless Steel Crown Procedure

Why Use A Crown?

If a baby tooth or a new permanent tooth needs a crown, we have several options.

We need to place a crown when decay has destroyed a large part of the tooth structure or when we have to remove infected pulp from the interior of a tooth.

Stainless Steel

A stainless steel crown is most often used on a baby tooth. This crown is strong and reliable, and it can be placed in one visit. In areas where esthetics is important, we may be able to place a stainless steel crown with a white coating.

We use stainless steel crowns for baby teeth because porcelain crowns are more expensive.

We have to remove a significant amount of tooth structure making a stainless steel crown the easiest to fit, and it will fall out with the baby tooth. We might place a stainless steel crown on a new permanent tooth if the neighboring teeth are baby teeth. A stainless steel crown can be placed in just one appointment.

Porcelain

When the adjacent permanent teeth are fully erupted, we can place a tooth-colored crown which could be all porcelain or porcelain-fused-to-metal. A porcelain crown could take one or more appointments.

The Procedure

If your child is anxious, we might suggest using nitrous oxide, a harmless sedative sometimes called "laughing gas.” We may also use a rubber dam to keep the tooth dry and to prevent anything from falling down your child’s throat.

We do not start the procedure until we are sure the area is numb. Then, we clean out the decay and prepare it for the crown. Next, we place the crown and cement it into place after we are sure it fits properly.

When the permanent tooth pushes through, the stainless steel crown will simply come out with the tooth.

A stainless steel crown will help restore function, save the tooth and give your child a healthy smile.