White & Silver Crowns for Children

Stronger than a filling
When a baby tooth has a cavity too large for a filling, a crown protects it — chewing, speaking, and holding space for the adult tooth — until it's naturally ready to go.
New PatientsGet Started Here
A young boy stands in a dental imaging machine, smiling, while a woman adjusts the equipment nearby, both wearing blue attire in a bright, clinical setting.

Why crown a baby tooth?

Parents ask us this all the time, and it's a fair question: if the tooth is going to fall out anyway, why fix it?

Because baby teeth have real work to do. They chew, they shape speech, and they hold the space the adult tooth underneath needs to come in straight. A tooth pulled too early can mean crowding and orthodontic problems years later.

When a cavity is small, a white filling usually does the job. When decay is larger — or a tooth is weakened after treatment — a filling alone can't hold. That's when a crown saves the tooth.

0
Visit
Most crowns, including tooth-colored zirconia, are completed in a single appointment.

Two proven options:

Zirconia (white) crowns
  • Look just like natural teeth — white, smooth, clean
  • Placed in one appointment
  • For front and back baby teeth
  • The choice that disappears into the smile
Stainless steel (silver) crown
  • The durable workhorse of pediatric dentistry
  • Decades of proven use
  • For back baby teeth with large cavities
  • Falls out naturally with the baby tooth — no extra procedure
One promise we always keep: we never place silver crowns on front teeth.

What to expect at the visit:

1
We explain first.
Your child hears the whole plan in kid terms before anything starts. You get the full picture too — no surprises for either of you.
2
Comfort, matched to your child.
From simply going slow, to nitrous oxide, to other sedation options when appropriate.
3
Done in one appointment.
Most crowns — including single-visit zirconia — are finished the same day, and your child walks out with a protected tooth.
A smiling woman with long, light brown hair and glasses, standing in an office setting adorned with framed certificates, exuding a friendly and professional demeanor.

Dr. Trahan is a board-certified pediatric dentist with surgical training from her years in the U.S. Air Force.

The procedures she performs here are ones she teaches to pediatric dental residents at UCLA.

Did You Know? 

Crowns on baby teeth surprise a lot of parents — here's what's actually true.
Misconception Crown treatment takes many visits.
what's actually true

Most pediatric crowns — including single-visit zirconia — are completed in one appointment.

Misconception A crowned tooth doesn’t need brushing.
what's actually true

The gumline and neighboring teeth still collect plaque. Crowned teeth need the same daily care as every other tooth.

Misconception Zirconia crowns are experimental.
what's actually true

Zirconia has years of clinical use in pediatric dentistry and is a standard, well-studied option for restoring baby teeth. They are more technique sensitive and remove more tooth structure than stainless steel crowns, so they are not an option in every scenario.

Misconception Crowns on baby teeth need to be replaced as the child grows.
what's actually true

A properly placed pediatric crown lasts the life of the baby tooth and comes out naturally with it.

Misconception It’s better to pull a bad baby tooth than crown it.
what's actually true

Early extraction can cost the space the adult tooth needs, leading to crowding and orthodontic problems. Saving the tooth is usually the space-saving move.

Misconception Any crown on a child’s tooth will look metallic.
what's actually true

Tooth-colored zirconia crowns look like natural teeth and can be placed in a single appointment — and we never place silver crowns on front teeth.

Misconception A silver crown means the dentist gave up on the tooth.
what's actually true

The opposite: a stainless steel crown saves a back baby tooth that a filling can’t, and it exfoliates naturally with the tooth in the early teens. Stainless steel crowns have 80+ years of proven performance, are easy to place on the teeth, and are very durable.

Misconception Crowns are only for adults.
what's actually true

Crowns are a routine, well-proven treatment for baby teeth with large cavities — they protect the tooth until it naturally falls out on schedule. Crowns for baby teeth come pre-formed and only take one short visit to complete.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Real answers to the questions parents ask us every day — from first visits to braces, brushing to sedation.
    Aetna LogoBlue-Shield-CA LogoCigna LogoDelta-Dental LogoGuardian LogoHumana LogoMetLife LogoSDC LogoTricare LogoUnited-Healthcare LogoUnum LogoZelis Logo
    Payment Options and Insurance
    ABPD Certification Logo
    APD Certification Logo
    Goodland Children's Dentistry Logo

    Ready to talk through your child's options?

    Schedule an Appointment
    New PatientsGet Started Here