What are Stainless Steel Crowns?
Stainless steel crowns are pre-formed metal “caps” that are used to cover and protect teeth that are damaged or decayed. They go by lots of names – “transformer teeth”, “princess teeth”, “robot teeth”, “jewellery”. They are durable, resistant to wear and tear, and provide a cost-effective solution for dental restoration. Unlike custom-made crowns, SSCs come in a range of standard sizes and shapes, which makes them easy to fit and quick to apply.Why Choose Stainless Steel Crowns?
At Floss Family Dental, we are all about your child having good experiences at the dentist, here are a few reasons SSCs might be a better option than a traditional filling.- Durability: Stainless steel is a strong, long-lasting material that can withstand the forces of chewing and grinding. This makes SSCs an ideal choice for molars that endure a lot of stress.
- Quick and Easy Application: Because they come pre-formed, SSCs can be placed in as little as 5 minutes. This is particularly beneficial for children, who may have difficulty sitting through multiple dental appointments. Another bonus is that there’s no needle, no drilling, no loud noises – creating an all-round good experience for your child.
- Longevity: SSCs are designed to stay on the tooth until it naturally exfoliates. This reduces amount of return visits to the dentist when compared to composite restorations (fillings) – which require a dry & clean environment. This can be especially challenging to achieve with young children who may struggle keeping their mouth open for long periods of time. Moisture from saliva or even slight movement can compromise the filling’s integrity – leading to a higher risk of failure, and needing to be replaced by the time the tooth exfoliates.
The Procedure: What to Expect
Getting a stainless steel crown is typically a straightforward process. First, your Floss Oral Health Therapist will stop the progression of decay using our “magic gel” – Silver Fluoride (Fact Sheet)
Silver Fluoride is an amazing tool we use a lot in dentistry – it’s quick, easy, painless, non-invasive, remineralises your natural tooth structure and relieves sensitivity/discomfort.
After this, we will apply orthodontic separator bands between your child‘s teeth – this allows natural movement in order to fit the SSC. These blue bands sit in place between the teeth for at least 3 days in order to avoid needing to numb the tooth up, or drill. Don’t worry – most children are used to this feeling of having something stuck between their teeth very quickly. It’s important that they don’t flick the band out, and eat soft foots on that side until returning for the final placement of the crown.
Appointment 2: Fitting the Crown
After 3-5 days of having the separator bands in place you will return to have the SSC put on. This appointment is generally the easiest – we will flick the bands out and ensure there is adequate space side-by-side of the decayed tooth to fit their SSC on. There is no anaesthetic, or drilling required.
A pre-formed SSC is selected appropriate to the size of their tooth.
It is then cemented in place using a strong dental adhesive – your child will be able to help seat the crown by biting down hard on a “pillow”. We then use our special blue light to make sure the cement is properly hardened. Either side of the crown will be flossed to ensure you are able to do this at home yourself.
There is minimal discomfort – most kids get a bit of pain in their gums as they’ve had the bands in there, and now a new tooth essentially. We recommend taking normal pain relief (Panadol, Neurofen) to help ease into their new transformer tooth.
