A hall crown is a stainless-steel crown made of stainless steel, nickel and chrome. They are used to restore back teeth (molars) in children which have decay, are broken down or did not form properly. There are a range of different sizes of preformed stainless-steel crowns, the correct size for each tooth is selected and cemented into place by the dentist. The crown will cover the entire surface of the tooth.
Why is this technique used?
Evidence shows that this technique to managing dental caries is more effective and preferred by children, parents/carers and dentists. It involves no local anaesthesia and no drilling of the tooth.
What do they look like?
They look bright and shiny, with the silver colour covering the entire tooth surface.
“Shiny helmet” just like soldiers wear to protect their head
“Shiny princess crown”
“Twinkle tooth”
How are they placed?
Placement usually involves 2 appointments. If there is a tight space between the tooth and its neighbouring tooth, the first appointment involves placing a separator. This is an elastic which is flossed in-between the teeth and left in place. At the second appointment the elastic separators are removed, and the stainless-steel crown is placed. The size of crown is selected and tried on; the crown is cemented onto the tooth with the child biting down or the dentist applying finger pressure.
What to expect afterwards
The crown can feel tight around the tooth for the first couple of days. If you feel your child needs, you can give painkillers. Eating and speaking may feel different at first, the crown may feel “high” to bite on initially, but will settle within a couple of weeks.
How long do they last?
The stainless-steel crown will last the lifetime of the baby tooth. When the baby tooth falls out, the stainless-steel crown will come out with it. In some cases the crown can wear on the biting surface and occasionally they need replaced.
How do I look after them?
The crowns need looked after the same way the rest of the teeth do. This means following our Toothbrushing and Diet advice.