At Dentistry for Children & Adolescents, we understand that sometimes what seems like the most perfect routine can lead to the need for a dental crown. It’s okay, not everyone is perfect and it’s certainly not the end of the world.

When the need arises we receive a lot of questions regarding what type of filling is best for their child. So today we embark on a blog post meant to answer some age-old questions about dental crowns and their applications.

“What is a dental crown?”

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over a tooth in order to help restore its shape, size, strength, and improve its appearance. When put in place, a dental crown will fully encase the visible portion of the tooth above the gum line.

“Why does my child need a dental crown?”

For children, a crown is used primarily for two reasons:

• To save a tooth that has decayed to the point that it cannot support a filling.
• Protect the teeth of a child at high risk for tooth decay.

“What types of crowns are available?”

Permanent crowns different metals, most commonly stainless steel, gold, or some other alloy. Then, there are the porcelain-fused-to-metal types, and ceramics.

Stainless-steel crowns are prefabricated used on permanent teeth as a temporary measure. For children, their application is used to fit over a primary tooth that’s prepared to fit it, protecting it from further decay. And when the primary tooth erupts, the crown comes with it.

These are used as a more cost-effective measure than others for children as they require fewer visits to put in place than other types.

Other metals used in crowns are gold alloys, palladium, nickel or chromium. Comparatively, less tooth structure needs to be removed with metal crowns, and the metal can withstand biting and chewing forces over the course of their lifetime. But, due to the color of the metals, dentists often reserve these types of crowns for out-of-sight places like molars.

Porcelain-fused-to-Metal crowns solve the problem of color-matching, but more wear and tear can occur to the opposing teeth can occur compared to the metal counterparts. Porcelain is also more prone to chipping over time.

For children with metal allergies, we may recommend all-ceramic or all-porcelain type crowns. Both are good choices for front teeth.

If you have more questions about dental crowns, or general questions about your child’s dental health, reach out to us:

As we continue to steam-roll through this year, spring has suddenly sprung and with it comes a bevy of activities for your children to partake in. After school sports are a great way to keep your little ones active and healthy. Though the risk for various injuries may increase, almost all parents would agree that the risk is worth taking.

Parents often ask us about mouth guards and best practices involving them, to help protect their children’s smile. So today, we are going to dive deep into the facts and best practices when using mouth guards for children!

A mouth guard is a piece of soft plastic that is shaped to fit inside the mouth, protecting the lips, cheeks, tongue, teeth and jaw when they are hit.

Types of mouth guards:

Stock: The least expensive, stock guards are extremely cheap and generally come in sizes such as “small” “medium” and “large”. If you’re on a budget, it’s better than nothing, but it is an advisable expense to go the extra mile for better fitting solutions. Failing to do so could lead to more costly procedures if an injury occurs.

Boil & Bite: A semi-custom fit can be made using a “boil and bite” model. The hot water softens the plastic and then is bitten to mold around your child’s teeth. Typically sold from $5 to $15 depending on the brand, they offer very good protection.

Custom fit: A dentist or orthodontist makes the best fitting mouth guards in a dental office. While clearly the more expensive option, potentially ranging from $40 to $70, custom fits provide the best protection and will be the best option at preventing more costly injuries.

Custom-fitted guards should generally continue to fit for as long as needed after your child has reached the age of 14 or 15 years old.

Best practices

Mouth guards prevent dental injuries, but can increase the number and severity of abrasions if used improperly. These abrasions can easily lead to infections, given how much bacteria resides in our mouths! To help fight off these risks we always recommend sanitizing them daily (or after every use). If a guard develops sharp of jagged edges, do not use it and replace it.

It’s important to note that guards help shield the different facets of your mouth from injuries due to impact, but they will not help prevent concussions.

Replace a mouth guard whenever your child develops any type of oral lesion or has respiratory distress, and stick to regular oral exams before and after use.

Braces. The word either inspires hope in a child that their teenage years are upon them, or fear because they believe it’s the end of their budding social career.

For parents, the decision is always a tough one. Braces can be an expensive solution so making the call to get them is one wrought with hand-wringing. For today’s blog entry we are going to discuss the warning signs and timeline for answering the question, does my kid need braces?

When?

During your childs dental visit, a pediatric dentist will evaluate your child for orthodontic treatment and let you know when a good idea to visit an orthodontist would be. There are times when early intervention is necessary and the child should be sent by the age of 7 years. Some orthodontist’s will recommend a course of treatment while the primary teeth are still in place in order to shorten the length dental braces are needed to align the adult teeth.

However, many times the child can wait until most of their permanent teeth have erupted, and the majority of their adult teeth have grown in. This can be anywhere between the ages of 8 and 14.

The answer varies, so consulting closely with your pediatric dentist is paramount in this situation.

Why?

There can be a number of reasons why a child may need braces. Malocclusion, where there is a difference in size between the top and bottom jaw, is a common reason. This is the reason you see overbite (when the upper jaw is bigger) and underbite (when the lower jaw is bigger).

Other problems can arise due to tooth decay, losing primary teeth too early, or thumbsucking. More often though these types of issues are inherited, so if you or someone in your family needed braces, it’s very likely they will too.

Braces come in all types, and aren’t limited to the metal type you’re used to seeing. In the last ten to fifteen years, we’ve seen clear and ceramic braces become more prominent due to their more discrete appearance. There are even braces that go behind teeth, called lingual braces.

The average length of time needed for braces to have their desired effect is around two years. Afterward, a retainer is commonly needed to help keep teeth in their new position.

While wearing them, it is incredibly important to be diligent with brushing and flossing. After every meal, both should become standard procedure to avoid permanent staining and cavity formation.

Just mentioning the term “wisdom teeth” in any setting can often illicit a tragic story of pain and suffering from a group of people. And yet, with all that experience it is hard to come up with a defined answer to an old question: “When should I have my wisdom teeth removed?”

The facts of the answer are not all cut and dry, but today we intend to shed some light on it for you.

Let’s start off with a fun fact. The term “wisdom teeth” was derived from the fact that they grow in around the ages of 17 to 21, right when a person is old enough to have grown up a bit.

It is important to note that not all wisdom teeth need to be removed, only those that cause problems. What constitutes a problem? Things like:

• Crowding of other teeth
• Teeth growing in at an awkward angle
• Impacted teeth
• Any pain or irritation in the teeth or the gum tissue surrounding the teeth

However, it is not uncommon to have a dentist say you should have them removed anyway, even though you are currently not experiencing pain. Why is that?

As teeth grow in, so do their roots. These roots grow down into the jaw to help hold teeth in place. If the root grows too close to the nerves in your jaw, it can wreak havoc and cause severe pain as the root deepens. Often, dentists are acting proactively in these situations.

Dentists are far more prone to have younger patients take on this surgery because they are more capable of recovering from it than an older person.

So, “When should I have my wisdom teeth removed,” has only one real answer: “When your dentist says to.”

Trusting your dentist is crucial to understanding proper dental hygiene, and the truth is that finding the right dentist can be a chore. We here at Dentistry for Children & Adolescents pride ourselves on being approachable and communicative with our patients and their parents. We work to build relationships with them and ensure that they are educated on the facts of every procedure we engage in.

In the meantime, feel free to download our FREE guide to dental emergencies for parents! It covers a wide arrangement of injuries and how you should treat them.