Silver Crown or White Crown?

When baby teeth have large decay, in some instances, they cannot be restored with a filling. When that is the case, Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry has choices as to what type of crown can be placed.  

The gold standard of our industry is the stainless steel crown. They have a proven track record and are very durable. Due to their thin, strong, and malleable metal, we can shape them to fit almost any tooth. They are more cost-effective than the white crowns. On the other hand, they are obviously not as aesthetic.

To many parents' relief, white crowns for baby teeth are now also available. They are made out of Zirconium: beautiful, white, but inflexible material. Their most obvious advantage is the aesthetics. Unfortunately, because of the hard material, we cannot get them to fit every tooth. We also have to remove more of the tooth structure to fit this thicker crown. Also, due to the nature of the material, it is more likely to break. They cost more than stainless steel crowns as the material, production of the crown, and tooth preparation are longer, harder, and more expensive.

There is no right or wrong choice in most cases. If Dr. Lindhorst and Dr. Jadav feel that one will be better for your child than another, they will specify. Otherwise, it is up to the parents to decide which one they prefer.  Parents make that decision based on location of the tooth in the mouth, aesthetics, duration of the tooth before it sheds, as well as cost.  We are always available to answer any questions about white versus silver crowns.

We hope this explains some of the pros and cons of silver versus white crowns!

Dr. Jadav

Smiles for Kids Pediatric Dentistry