Dental Crowns

What are Stainless Steel Crowns?

Stainless Steel Crowns (SSC) are preformed metal crowns that are used for restoring extremely decayed or damaged milk teeth.

They are primarily used on the posterior (or backside) milk teeth. They are never preferred for front milk teeth because of its steel or silvery appearance. Besides this, placing them on the front can irritate the gum and the supporting structure of the permanent teeth.

When are Stainless Steel Crowns Used?

Stainless steel crowns can be used in various circumstances:

• When a tooth’s crown is broken or fractured.
• When a tooth is damaged or decayed severely.
• When a few teeth are abnormal right from birth.
• When a child has a very high level of dental caries.
• When there is an underlying disease, which causes the need to place a crown.
• When no other material suits the restoration procedure and SSCs are the only choice.

Benefits of Stainless Steel Crowns

When a baby tooth has decayed heavily and using any other filling material isn’t a good option, the AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) recommends restoring it with a quality stainless steel crown, especially if it has received a pulpal therapy.

SSCs have these advantages:

• They are cost-effective and highly durable.
• They adapt to the tooth properly and doesn’t cause any leakage.
• They offer full coverage for the tooth, making sure that it stays protected.
• They can be placed easily on the tooth because they are already “performed.”
• They are an ideal choice for kids who need General Anesthesia.
• When compared to other materials used for tooth restoration, SSCs have a success rate of 96%.
• Despite the significant loss of the tooth’s crown structure, the tooth can be still restored.

The longevity of Stainless Steel Crowns

Tooth decay, extraction/grinding of decayed matter, root canal procedure are all the terms, you are familiar in dental treatment. Yes, there are many steps the dentist needs to look in detail for each procedure.

First, the problems are looked into, then the procedure for the restructuring of a tooth is completed and the final step is to implant a new crown on the affected tooth. There are many types of dental crowns, but, if the patient is a child, then stainless steel crowns are preferred. In this article let us look into the longevity of stainless steel crowns.

Reasons For Longevity of Stainless Steel Crowns

The composition is nickel, carbon, iron and other metals. They are designed in a specific way to be more durable and strong. There are three types of stainless steel crowns in pediatric dentistry according to dentists. They are

• Untrimmed SSC
• Pre-trimmed SSC
• Precontoured SSC

These crowns are used in instances where:

• The teeth had to do strenuous functions such as breaking of bones and grinding hard food.
• It is also used in places of a fractured tooth.
• Unlike its counterparts, stainless steel crowns require just one visit to the dentist. You do not have to worry about the stress of retreatment.
• This crown proves the best alternative for uncooperative children.