Children's primary and permanent teeth sometimes need restoration. There are several reasons this might be needed:
Also, remember that tooth decay is an infection. If a primary tooth is decaying, this infection could affect the child's general health.
A primary tooth can be restored with a filling or a crown. Which one is used depends on how much of the tooth is still healthy.
Compared with permanent teeth, primary teeth are more likely to need a crown if they have a lot of decay. That's partly because primary teeth are smaller. They also have thinner layers of enamel (the outer surface) and dentin (the layer beneath enamel). Large fillings in primary teeth tend not to last as long as crowns.
A primary tooth with a filling will still fall out when it is time for the permanent tooth to come in.
A child's crown usually made of stainless steel. It is completed in a single visit. In an adult, a crown is done in several visits.
