Composite crown-form crowns for severely decayed primary molars: a technique for restoring function and esthetics

Current developments in esthetic dentistry center around new techniques and materials that improve the ability of the clinician to provide esthetic services. This article describes a step-by-step method of placing composite crown-form crowns on severely decayed primary mandibular molars. The described technique allows for restoring, as close as possible, form and function lost to caries in an esthetic mode in cases of severely decayed primary molars that would have required stainless steel crowns had they been treated traditionally. Disadvantages of this treatment mode are that dryness may not be prevented in the proximal margins, especially where subgingival carious involvement is encountered and the margin areas may be contaminated with gingival fluid or blood. Although no long-term follow-up has been reported for the technique, when strong opposition by the parent or child to the stainless steel crown is encountered, and a desire for esthetic restoration is strongly expressed, the composite crown-form crowns may be considered as an alternative.