Stainless Steel Crowns

When a back baby tooth is severely affected with decay, we sometimes place a prefabricated “cap” which is made out of stainless steel and shaped and sized to fit baby teeth. While we usually try to avoid touching the nerve during a restoration, sometimes teeth with deep cavities require the pulpotomy  as well. Large fillings in baby teeth do not stand up very well to long term wear. Stainless steel crowns are frequently placed on teeth that have had pulpotomies, because by the time a baby tooth needs a pulpotomy, the damage to the crown is so severe that only a stainless steel crown is likely to remain intact for the life of the tooth.