We are excited to announce that our office is now open with a limited schedule for all treatments and procedures, and that we’re taking additional special measures to ensure the health and safety of our patients and team members.
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We are excited to announce that our office is now open with a limited schedule for all treatments and procedures, and that we’re taking additional special measures to ensure the health and safety of our patients and team members.
read more
If your child has a deep cavity or has broken or chipped one of their teeth in an accident, a dental crown from Dr. Mukund Patel or Dr. Raj Patel is the option for restoring their smile quickly and keeping their teeth healthy. Learn more about crowns below, or contact us to schedule an appointment in Yardley, Bensalem, Warrington, or Glenside today.
Dental crowns are the best way to restore and protect a damaged baby tooth or adult tooth. If your child’s tooth is damaged by tooth decay or an oral injury and you do not get treatment, their condition may get worse, and they could even lose their tooth.
That’s where dental crowns come in. They are typically made of metal or porcelain, and are intended to look and feel just like a natural tooth. Your child’s natural tooth will be trimmed, and then the crown will be bonded to the tooth structure using powerful dental cement, locking it into place permanently.
By covering up the remaining tooth structure, a crown protects the tooth from further damage, and allows them to smile, speak, and chew normally without any pain or discomfort.
We offer stainless steel crowns, which are pre-fitted to ensure that we can treat the damaged tooth in just a single appointment. Stainless steel crowns are very strong and durable, and are the most affordable method of tooth restoration. They are commonly used for restoring rear teeth like the molars, and are only used for restoring primary (baby) teeth.
The crown placement process for baby teeth is simple, fast, and minimally-invasive at our practice. Restorative dentist Dr. Mukund or Dr. Raj will begin by cleaning your child’s mouth, numbing the area, and trimming the tooth to remove any remaining damaged enamel.
Once your child’s tooth has been prepared, they will choose a pre-fitted stainless steel or porcelain crown that will fit perfectly over their tooth structure. Once they have chosen the proper crown, they will use a special dental adhesive to bond it in place permanently, restoring your child’s tooth.
For adult teeth, the process is a bit different. After cleaning and trimming your child’s tooth, Dr. Raj or Dr. Mukund will take impressions of the teeth with dental putty. These impressions will be sent to a dental lab where your child’s crown will be custom-made to ensure that it matches their surrounding teeth.
Your child will be sent home with a temporary crown to wear for the next few weeks, until their custom crown arrives at our office. Then, they’ll come back in for a followup, and Dr. Raj or Dr. Mukund will check the fit of their crown, then bond it into place permanently to restore their smile.
Even though it’s true that baby teeth fall out naturally on their own, this is no reason to neglect your child’s oral health. On the contrary, baby teeth play a crucial role in maintaining tooth alignment and holding space open for the permanent tooth to erupt.
On a practical level, missing teeth can make it difficult to chew and speak and create an aesthetically displeasing smile. If a tooth is lost too soon, the rest of the teeth in the mouth will shift, which can make the teeth crooked and require orthodontic correction.
Teeth are also sure to drift into the gap where the tooth used to be, which will block the permanent tooth from erupting. A prematurely lost baby tooth will require the placement of a space maintainer to prevent these problems. However, prevention is the best solution.
If your child’s tooth becomes damaged or decayed, a dental crown can be the perfect solution to hold the tooth together, add durability and strength, and restore the structure of the tooth so it can withstand force until it’s ready to naturally fall out.
Yes, pediatric crowns are a very common treatment, especially in response to tooth decay and dental trauma. They prevent the need for an extraction, which would result in long-term consequences like bone loss, changes to your child’s bite, and changes to their facial structure.
A pediatric crown is typically placed when a child has a large filling, a tooth that has been severely chipped, cracked, or broken, and after a pulpotomy. A crown is much more durable and long-lasting compared to a filling.
This is why they are the industry standard in response to significant damage and decay. When a tooth is vulnerable, weak, or broken, it’s at risk of further deteriorating with wear and tear. A dental crown will prevent further damage to the tooth and provide a significant amount of strength that assists with chewing food. It will also fill in gaps in the smile to restore your child’s confidence.
Preventing cavities is all about practicing a proper and consistent oral hygiene routine. Your child should brush their teeth twice a day for at least two minutes. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and a grain size of fluoride toothpaste until they’re 3.
Past the age of 3, they can use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. They should floss their teeth once a day once they have teeth that are close together. Try to reduce their consumption of sugar, acidic foods and drinks, and frequent snacking. These habits increase the risk of cavities.
