Zirconia Crowns

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Zirconia Crowns vs. Silver (Stainless Steel) Crowns

Both protect a decayed baby tooth, but they look and feel different:

• Zirconia crowns are solid white ceramic and match the surrounding teeth.
• Stainless steel crowns are silver-colored metal and are easy to spot when a child smiles or laughs.
• Zirconia is metal-free, which parents often prefer for kids with metal sensitivities.

Both hold up to normal chewing. The main reason families choose zirconia is that it's far less noticeable, especially on a front tooth.

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 When Does a Child Need a Crown Instead of a Filling?

A filling works when decay is small. Once a cavity reaches a large part of the tooth, or the tooth is cracked or worn down, a filling has too little healthy tooth to grip and can pop out. A crown covers the whole tooth, which is why Dr. Bari recommends one when a baby tooth is badly broken down. Protecting the baby tooth keeps it in place until it's ready to fall out on its own, which helps the adult tooth come in where it should.

Growing Smiles Main Line Pediatric Dentistry is unique in that we offer zirconia crowns on back teeth, so when your child smiles, you may have a difficult time pointing out which tooth is the crown!