The necessity of stainless-steel crowns for deciduous teeth from pulpotomy

As soon as one hears about stainless steel dental crowns a silvery tooth-like image will pop in the visual cortex of the brain. All we know is it’s a metal cap that is generally inserted into the premolars but it’s more than that. It is a boon to many who have decayed teeth or no tooth.

It acts as a barrier resisting the spread of tooth-related infections. Fortunately, we live in a century where there are things like stainless-steel dental crowns. Which has helped millions of people across the world without which people would have struggled to eat, speak, or even smile. Price

Whenever there is a problem with the temporary teeth, nobody wants to bother as the teeth fall off after several months. But dentists recommend steel crowns even for temporary teeth. Here is all you need to know about it.

WHAT ARE STAINLESS STEEL CROWNS?

Stainless crowns which we call “Silver hats” are metal caps that are composed of alloys and are used to cap defective teeth. These are used as an alternative to silver and tooth-colored fillings. They are hard and not easily damaged. They have a polished surface which makes it easy to clean and they last for four years and more.

A crown is a fixed prosthetic device or a tooth cap. It is generally made of either ceramic, porcelain, gold, or base metals. It restores the normal function and appearance of the tooth.

They may cost more than silver fillings but they are hard, resistive to infections and they stay long saving a tooth without which a person would have suffered long-lasting pain.

What do temporary teeth mean?

Temporary teeth have several names; the most commonly used names are milk teeth and baby teeth. They are also called deciduous teeth and primary teeth. These are the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans and other diphyodont (organisms having two sets of teeth).

 They generally develop during the embryonic phase of development of the organism and erupt from the gums only during infancy.

Temporary teeth also called milk teeth are more often capped these days to avoid further decay of the teeth. But once the milk teeth fall, the metal cap will also fall with the teeth.

PURPOSE OF USING STAINLESS STEEL CROWNS

They are used on milk teeth for various reasons:

• They are used on teeth which are decayed to a greater extent.
• Used on teeth that are broken.
• Used on teeth that have significant defects either from birth or due to disease.
• To replace filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining
• To protect the tooth from fracturing
• To complete dental implant placement

Generally, as a layman, we think that it's fine to get the milk teeth out as it is temporary rather than adding a metal cap to it. But doctors suggest metal caps because teeth play a very important role in children's life.

They help them to eat, speak, smile, etc. without which for a couple of years it makes a child's life difficult.  Metal caps resist further transmission of infections to other teeth which in serious conditions would become fatal in the long run.  

How is it beneficial?

It protects a weakened tooth from experiencing further damage, cover a discolored or misshapen tooth, attach a bridge, or complete a dental implant procedure. Their implementation is versatile and with proper care, they could last a lifetime.

The traditional methods of crown placement happen within two to three appointments. There is an advanced equipment that allows some dentists to take digital impressions and craft restorations in a single appointment but one can rest assured that their dentist wants to safely secure their crown for maximum strength, efficiency, comfort, and beauty either way.

The procedure followed during pulpotomy

Placing a crown is relatively a commonplace procedure in most dental offices. Generally, temporary teeth are replaced with crowns due to the deep cavities formed. The method followed in removing the existing tooth and replacing the crown is called a pulpotomy. Here is the procedure followed during pulpotomy:

In primary teeth when deep cavities are in the nerve or close to the nerve, it's sometimes necessary to perform a pulpotomy. A pulpotomy is the removal of the irritating part of the pulp while leaving the healthy root canals intact. A pulpotomy usually involves four common steps. It includes removing the tooth, providing medications to promote healing, and crowning the teeth.

For making the entire procedure comfortable the first thing dentists do is that they thoroughly numb the area and place a rubber dam around the tooth to isolate it from the rest of the mouth as it protects the tooth like a safety net.

 To avoid irritation, dentists make an opening through the top of the tooth and go down into the pulp chamber. They carefully clean out the nerve tissue and then place a medicated packing, sometimes the medicated packing is removed, and sometimes it is left in place. The last step is the placement of the crown, it seals and protects the tooth.

Dentists recommend and place crowns to protect or restore a tooth to its full function and appearance. The materials used to craft a crown will depend on the placement of the tooth in need.

Do’s AND Don’ts FOR TEMPORARY DENTAL CROWN

As it is a temporary dental crown that is being inserted at the first visit, care has to be taken to avoid the fall of the crown which will not be fixed and cemented like the permanent one.               

One should avoid sticky foods that can stick to the temporary crown and pull it out of the buccal cavity(mouth). Avoid chewing using your temporary crown as much as possible and also avoid biting hard substances that may break the temporary crown.

After two to three weeks a temporary crown will be replaced by the permanent one which will be capable enough to tolerate high pressure and it won’t easily come out.

After inserting a permanent crown no special care is required but the maintenance of oral hygiene by brushing teeth twice a day and rinsing the mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash at least once a day is very much essential.

Always “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”, whatever may be present artificially it cannot have added advantage over the natural one. It’s always better to maintain oral hygiene and take good care of our teeth.