Dental crown for my 6 year old?

My 6 year old has been told she needs a crown on her right upper back (next to the last) tooth. It had a cavity, but when going in to clean it, it was too close to the nerve. They will only do a silver crown. I have a problem with this. Isn't there an alternative? The problem is, it is a baby tooth, but the x-rays show no permanent tooth coming in above it. This could mean she would have a silver tooth forever. What are my options? We are getting a second opinion but I would like to hear from various dentists on this as soon as possible. I am typically not a picky person, but I do not want a silver tooth in my little girl. I do, however, want what is best for her. Please advise.

Dental crown for my 6 year old?
Before you consider any other treatment and if the idea of a stainless steel crown bothers you that much, have your dentist (either the first one or the second opinion) take a panorex on your daughter to make sure she has no adult bicuspid forming as a bud in the gum. The adult tooth can be up high and may not be visible on the small intra-oral xrays.


If there is a cavity into the nerve or close to the nerve on a baby tooth the stain-steel crown is a very good option once they have done a pulpotomy to keep you daughter out of pain. Your priority should be keeping your daughter out of pain, not the aesthetics of this crown. The crown is meant to hold together what tooth structure she has left and to seal out any other chances of decay going any farther to destroy the remaining portion of this tooth.


If she has no adult tooth under this tooth and baby tooth needs to be extracted they can use a space maintainer to keep that area opened. When she is older and her jaw has stopped growing your dentist can discuss all your options from implants to bridges or a flipper, but at this point it is too early in the game to consider any other permanent restoration than that stainless steel crown.
Reply:Well she wouldn't have the silver crown forever. Eventually when she gets older a porcelain one should be made but for now while she is still losing teeth %26amp; things are shifting still %26amp; moving this is the best way to stabolize the tooth %26amp; be able to keep it, especially if there is no tooth coming in behind it. You should definitely get it done if this is their best option for you. She needs that space kept there for other erupting teeth %26amp; space.
Reply:I agree with Jessica and I would say not even put one in her bad tooth will fall out and her perment tooth will come in sooner or later.
Reply:A "silver" crown is placed on a tooth when there's not enough tooth to hold a filling. There's still a small chance that a permanent tooth is forming above it since it will be 4-6 years before the baby tooth should be lost. In any case, if the permanent tooth IS missing then, when she is older, the baby tooth could be capped with porcelain [I've done a couple in 37 years] or remove the baby tooth and do an implant. There is another option also, if she has orthodontic problems, that tooth could be extracted and another tooth moved into that space. There are a lot of options so don't panic. Trust your dentist.
Reply:MK has presented excellent response. Go through it again and it will calm all your anxieties. However, you may seek a second opinion for further satisfaction.

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