Will my child need a dental crown after root canal treatment?

dental crowns for children Rockwall

Root canal therapy is completed by the use of dental crowns for children, just like it is for adults. Although the symptoms may be similar, depending on the teeth involved, the pediatric dentist may have more options for treatment based on the severity of the damage to the pulp or nerves involved.

If the tooth involved is a primary tooth, but it is not loose or its loss is not imminent, root canal therapy can be completed. It is important to save baby teeth for several reasons. Chewing and speaking correctly can be negatively affected by premature loss, and baby teeth also hold space for permanent teeth to erupt when ready.

If baby teeth are lost too soon, remaining teeth can shift. This can block the correct descension of permanent teeth as well as result in a malocclusion.

A root canal may be needed following damage due to trauma to a tooth, deep dental decay, or infection. Both primary and permanent teeth may be treated … a newly erupted tooth may not have fully developed roots so the type of treatment will be completed based on need.

When root canal therapy is performed, the access point in the tooth must be sealed. Dental crowns for children are completed for both primary and permanent teeth. The tooth will often be capped using a stainless steel crown.

Upon completion, the tooth is actually strengthened due to the addition of the crown. If a primary tooth was crowned, the base of the tooth will eventually loosen; tooth and crown will come out just as if the tooth had never been treated.

Some symptoms that indicate the possible need for a root canal include pain when biting down; sensitivity to temperature; and/or jaw swelling.

The pediatric dentist will require a dental x-ray to confirm a suspected diagnosis. Deep dental decay may not require root canal therapy, but a crown may still be recommended as trying to drill out the decay and fill it may result in fracturing the tooth.

Dental crowns for children on primary teeth should never be considered unnecessary, even though these teeth will eventually fall out, their function until then is critically important. Caring for dental crowns is the same as natural teeth … brush and floss daily; and visit the dentist every six months for cleaning and exam.

Talk to our team of dentists and call The Smiley Tooth Pediatric Dental Specialists today to learn more about this aspect of treatment and to ask any questions you may have.