The term crown describes the portion of your tooth that extends above the gumline - in other words, the portion of the tooth that can be seen in a healthy mouth.
It is also used more colloquially to describe the dental procedure of having a prosthetic crown placed over a decayed, chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged tooth.
With this dental procedure code, the prosthetic crown placed over a child’s primary tooth is constructed from a base of stainless steel, and coated with either porcelain or a composite resin to provide greater aesthetic appeal.
Unlike custom-made crowns, stainless steel crowns are pre-made (or, pre-fabricated) by a firm that specializes in these restorative dental products.
To prepare for this type of crown, a dentist will first remove any decayed or weakened areas of the tooth, and reduce its overall shape to accommodate the crown.
Next, different sized prefabricated crowns will be tested on the tooth until the correct size is found.
Further adjustments may then be made to achieve a secure fit and bite-match, and then the crown will be cemented in place.
To look up and find more CDT dental codes from the American Dental Association, please visit our complete Dental Procedure Code Library.