Porcelain crowns are the most popular cosmetic restoration method today thanks to their quick results, overcoming defects on teeth such as chipping, cracking, cavities, etc. Many parents wonder whether children should have porcelain crowns. Let’s find out with BIK International Dental Clinic in the article below!
1. Some common dental diseases in children
Making dental bridges
Parents should pay special attention to their children’s oral health because this is a factor that greatly affects their development, both psychologically and physically. Some common dental diseases in children include the following:
Tooth decay
Tooth decay is probably the most common dental disease in children. The main cause is due to the child’s preference and habit of snacking and eating a lot of sweets, but the child’s oral hygiene is still poor. This causes the acid in food to weaken the enamel, gradually corroding it and causing tooth decay.
Tooth pulpitis
If the tissues surrounding the tooth root are infected and not treated promptly and effectively, bacteria will gradually have the opportunity to attack the enamel structure. At this time, the pulp can be damaged, leading to infection. If not treated, the tooth can gradually weaken, become loose and even lose teeth.
Tooth misalignment
Tooth misalignment, protrusion, and underbite are also quite common conditions in children. The cause of this can be genetic or early loss of baby teeth, bad habits such as thumb sucking, teeth grinding, tongue thrusting, etc.
2. Should children have porcelain crowns?
According to experts, parents should not let their children have porcelain crowns, especially during the baby teeth stage because it will cause some of the following effects:
Hindering the permanent teeth growth process
Teeth are a part that cannot develop to heal itself, so once the porcelain crown is ground, the teeth cannot grow again, even if the child is in the stage of comprehensive development.
In addition, porcelain crowns have the characteristics of being hard and durable to ensure chewing function like real teeth. However, this is a factor that puts pressure on adjacent teeth, making them unable to grow anymore.
Impact on children’s psychology
Children’s psychology is often not really stable and most of them are afraid of clinics because of specialized tools such as pliers, needles, large equipment and machines, etc. Therefore, having children grind their teeth and crown them with porcelain can make them haunted and affect their psychology later in life.
Porcelain crowns can be tight when children grow up
While still in puberty, children’s teeth and jaw bones can still develop later. If porcelain crowns are applied outside after a few years, the porcelain crowns can become bulky and no longer fit the gums. From there, children can experience pain and affect their daily activities.
3. Appropriate age for porcelain crowns for children
How old should children be to have porcelain crowns?
Depending on each person’s constitution, the appropriate age for porcelain crowns for children will be different. The most important condition is that the child must have all of his or her teeth replaced and the tooth that needs to be crowned has stopped growing. Placing a porcelain crown on a tooth that has not fully grown will lead to some of the effects listed above.
Therefore, all reputable dentists in the world believe that cosmetic porcelain crowns should only be performed when children are adults, around 17 or 18 years old. If necessary, parents can have their children have cosmetic composite fillings if the teeth are only slightly damaged and can later be replaced with cosmetic porcelain crowns.
4. Notes when deciding to have porcelain crowns for children
Should children have porcelain crowns?
When deciding to have porcelain crowns for children, parents should note the following issues:
Find a reputable dental clinic
Performing porcelain crowns for children at a reputable dental facility, with a team of highly qualified doctors combined with the support of modern technology will help the porcelain crown process take place more quickly and safely.
Choosing the right type of porcelain teeth
The quality of porcelain teeth is an important factor that determines the restoration results and the service life. It is important to choose high-quality porcelain crowns to ensure that the aesthetics and chewing ability are restored for a long time.
Follow the doctor’s instructions
It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions and requirements from the examination, consultation to treatment stages to achieve the best restoration results. Cases with oral diseases need to be thoroughly treated before ensuring safety.
Proper oral care
Whether before or after porcelain crowns, children need to be instructed on proper daily oral care to limit bacteria and plaque accumulation that is harmful to teeth and gums, and to avoid disease recurrence after treatment and porcelain crowns.
5. How to take care of children’s teeth
Should children have porcelain crowns?
To limit the need for porcelain crowns for children, parents should pay attention to the following:
Proper oral hygiene
– Remind children to brush their teeth at least twice a day, especially after each meal.
– Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth decay and make teeth stronger.
– Instruct children to use some other oral hygiene tools such as electric toothbrushes, mouthwash, dental floss, etc. to increase the effectiveness of tooth cleaning.
– Take children to the dentist for regular check-ups at least once every 6 months to help the doctor continuously monitor the condition of their teeth. From there, promptly correct some oral diseases if any.
Reasonable diet
– Limit eating foods containing a lot of sugar, avoid cases of poor dental hygiene, creating conditions for bacteria to accumulate, attack and affect tooth enamel.
– Do not use carbonated drinks, dark drinks that cause tooth discoloration and yellowing.
Supplement enough calcium to support stable and healthy tooth development
Therefore, experts advise that porcelain crowns should not be applied to children under 18 years old because this method requires an impact on tooth enamel and leads to some effects on both the psychology and physical health of children. If necessary, parents can have their children have cosmetic porcelain fillings and then change them to porcelain crowns later.
