You may be wondering why kids nowadays wear silver teeth. Recently, there’s a controversy about kids wearing silver teeth, or technically called stainless steel caps (crowns) for kids. It has the function of natural crowns of teeth that allows children to eat and speak comfortably. It also helps them develop their bite properly. Kids would wear them until their baby teeth fall out.
Understanding Why Kids Wear Silver Teeth:
1. It helps repair decaying baby molars.
As we all know, teeth in the course of human life change once. Young children begin to lose their primary or baby teeth by the age of six and will be replaced with permanent teeth. The primary can often be susceptible to decay, especially in children because of the following:
- Cavities caused by high levels of bacteria.
- They love sugary and starchy food.
- Loss of minerals due to acid-producing bacteria.
- Poor oral hygiene.
- Less saliva flow than normal.
Cavities are like colds, that can pass from tooth to tooth when not treated. Decaying teeth can be such an inconvenience to children. To avoid further damage, get your child to see a dentist and follow the doctor’s recommendations.
Essentially, a dental crown is essentially is a “tooth cap” that helps a tooth restore its natural strength and appearance. The dentist would first remove the decayed tooth and remove enough enamel for the cap to sit naturally on the child’s tooth. Compared to a baby tooth, a silver cap provides a stronger surface. It also protects the damaged baby tooth and keeps the decay to move from one tooth to another.
2. Kids wear silver teeth to help keep a space in the mouth for permanent teeth.
As mentioned, silver caps or aluminum steel caps can help your children get decayed teeth protected from further damage. More than that, it also gives very little sensitivity which makes it comfortable for children to wear. It feels and functions just like their normal teeth.
Usually, a stainless steel crown can be placed on a baby tooth that will fall out. It provides a space for the permanent tooth to grow into the gums. It will fall out once the permanent tooth grows. Using aluminum steel caps not only that they are cost-effective, but it also requires an easy and fast procedure.
What Expect And Do After The Procedure:
Hours after the crown placement, the child may feel uncomfortable needs to be supervised. Here are things to expect after the procedure and how to deal with it.
- The child may feel numb lips and cheeks so remind the child to be careful not to bite their lips until the anesthesia wears off.
- Biting may feel unusual, but the feeling will normalize in a few days.
- Due to the metal color under the gum tissue, the child’s gums may appear blue.
- The child must not brush their teeth with a toothbrush for the first three days. But instead, use a moistened cloth with toothpaste to scrub the surface of the crown. The cloth should be ideally similar to the cloth that we use when we clean the gums when the child is still a baby.
- After three days, the child should brush as usual, even if the gums may start to bleed slightly.
- Don’t give sticky foods to the child that may move the crown out of place.
- If the crown falls off, bring it to the dentist to cement it back to the teeth.
Ways To Avoid Using Dental Teeth Caps For Children:
At an early age, children should be introduced to good dental hygiene and dental health. Teaching children to get in a good dental habit is essential to avoid having to use dental caps. These are basic and practical ways to follow:
- Supervise kids when they brush their teeth twice a day. Flossing is also very important.
- Teach children to avoid chewing or biting on hard food like candies and ice.
- Get children to wear a mouth guard for protection if they play sports.
- Make it a habit to regularly schedule a dentist visit for checkups and dental cleanings at least twice a year.
Conclusion:
Since children love eating sugary food and starchy or rich in carbohydrates food, they are prone to have cavities. It is important to teach children at a young age proper dental hygiene as well as good eating habits.
Children’s primary teeth are bound to fall out at the right age, usually at age 6. Despite the fact it will soon be replaced by permanent teeth, it shouldn’t be the reason not to take care of their baby teeth. Aside from supervising children in taking care of their teeth, they should also be scheduled for visits with the dentist at least twice a year. With regular check-ups by the dentist, any potential dental problems will be detected at an early stage.
Wearing silver caps for teeth is a common procedure done for children. Not only it is cost-effective, but it also can be done fast and easily. It helps protect the children’s teeth being treated for cavities to avoid further decay and problem. Like colds, dental cavities can pass from teeth to teeth. With the silver crown caps, this will be avoided.
Although the use of silver teeth caps is proven safe and effective to help children, it can be avoided by practicing good dental habits. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.
