Front-Fillings And Crowns in Pediatric Patients
When a child has a cavity in a front tooth you will oftentimes see dentists place tooth-colored fillings.
While a tooth-colored filling works well in many instances, when a cavity is below the gum line or in-between the front teeth, tooth-colored fillings will often pop out.
This is due to the bond strength to the primary (baby) tooth. The bond strength is how well the bond (glue) that holds the filling in place. The enamel or the out layer of the tooth is where the bond strength is achieved. Permanent (Adult) teeth have three to four times the thickness of enamel than primary (baby) teeth, creating more surface area for the bond, which creates a much stronger bond. Primary (baby) teeth also flex much more than permanent (adult) teeth causing front fillings on primary (baby) teeth to come out. This is why porcelain crowns are often times the far superior choice to fixing front top baby teeth.
Crowns In The Front In Children
When a child has a cavity in a front tooth we usually place a tooth-colored filling or white porcelain crown. When a child has a cavity in a front tooth and needs a baby-root canal, we will place a porcelain crown. Traditionally when a primary tooth (baby tooth) needs a root canal, we restore the tooth with a stainless-steel crown. In the front, however, we do not use stainless steel, as we want your child to be able to smile for pictures!
