Time To Stop The Decay: How To Care For Your Child's Dental Crowns

If your child has developed severe tooth decay that will require dental crowns to repair the damage, they'll need some help caring for their new dental work. Pediatric dental crowns will allow the remnant of the baby tooth to remain in place until the permanent tooth can grow in properly. In order to do its job properly, it will need to be taken care of. Here are four tips that will help you care for your child's dental crowns.

Monitor the Foods Your Child Eats

If your child has received dental crowns, you'll need to start monitoring what they eat. There are some foods that can cause serious damage to dental crowns. First, you'll need to ensure that your child doesn't eat anything hard such as hard candies. Second, you'll need to avoid giving your child foods that are overly sticky. Hard foods can break the crowns, while sticky foods can pull the crowns right off your child's teeth. It's also important that your child not chew on hard objects such as pencils.

Talk to Your Dentist About Teeth Grinding

If your child grinds their teeth – something known as bruxism – you'll need to talk to your dentist as soon as possible. Teeth grinding can cause serious damage to your child's dental crowns. If the grinding is a serious issue, your dentist may need to fit your child with a mouth guard that they'll need to wear while they're sleeping.

Continue Brushing and Flossing

If your child has dental crowns, you'll need to ensure that they continue to brush and floss at least twice a day. Brushing and flossing will not only help prevent tooth decay on your child's remaining healthy teeth, it will also help protect against further damage to the tooth that has received the crown. You might not realize this, but the affected tooth can continue to decay if it's not properly cared for.

Watch for Signs of Trouble

If your child has been fitted for dental crowns, you'll need to watch for signs of trouble. Some of the signs include increased pain, redness and swelling, or foul-smelling discharge from the gums. These signs can be an indication of an infection. You should also watch for visible signs of damage such as cracks in the surface of the crowns. You'll also want to check to make sure that the crowns don't become loose. If you notice any of those issues with your child's dental crowns, you should contact their dentist right away.

Contact a dentist office, like Demianko Dental Care, for more help.