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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Stainless Steel Crowns, Facings, and Pedoform (Strip) Crowns
If
a baby tooth has been severely affected by dental decay or pulp
therapy has been performed on the tooth, a regular silver or white
filling is not the treatment of choice. Due to the size of the
cavity and root canal treatment, something that covers the entire
tooth must be used such as a stainless steel crown, a stainless steel
crown with a facing, or a composite crown (i.e. Pedoform crown or
strip crown).
A stainless steel crown is a prefabricated crown designed and manufactured in a variety of sizes to fit the tooth. Our office uses "Ion Crowns" made by the 3M Company that are very precisely designed to simulate the original anatomy of the tooth that they are covering. Also, these 3M "Ion Crowns" are manufactured to be sized and fitted to your child's tooth in a much shorter time by our doctors. This is a great benefit to your child as he/she is in the dental chair for a shorter period of time. The benefits of placing a stainless steel crown on a tooth include full coverage of the damaged tooth, decreasing the risk of future cavities to that same tooth, saving the proper amount of space for the eruption of the permanent tooth, the restored ability to bite and chew his/her food properly, and the ability to speak properly.
A stainless steel crown with a facing is an upper front stainless steel crown with the front portion removed by the doctor and a composite (white resin material) placed in the front. This gives the stainless steel crown a "white" appearance. This choice gives your child better esthetics for the upper front teeth while giving this final restoration the strength and retention of the stainless steel crown.
Click here for our explanation of Benefits and Limitations of Stainless Steel Crowns with Composite Facing for Upper Front Primary Teeth.
A Composite Strip Crown or Pedoform Crown form is a prefabricated plastic crown form that is sized to fit the decayed tooth. All decay is removed from the tooth, and then the doctor determines the correct size strip crown to restore the tooth's original contours. The plastic form is then filled with the white resin material and bonded to the remaining enamel of the tooth. The plastic crown form is then removed leaving the PedoForm or Strip Crown on the tooth. The PedoForm or Strip Crown is the most esthetic of all the crowns available for our use, but there are definite limitations and contraindications to its use.
Click here for our explanation of Benefits and Limitations of Composite Pedoform Crowns for Upper Front Primary Teeth.
Disclaimer
Doctor Haeberlein, Dr. Wang and the other Doctors in the Discovery Dental Group make no warranties, expressed or implied, as to any results to be obtained from use of the information "What should I do in a Dental Emergency." We cannot diagnose or treat patients over the Internet. Information on this site is for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal, medical, and/or dental attention or diagnosis. Without all available information about a patient, it is impossible to make a diagnosis. Help and answers are in the form of general ideas. Only you, your dentist, and other necessary and qualified health care providers can make an appropriate treatment decision in an emergency or for everyday care and dental treatment.
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