Dental Crowns For Kids In Dacono, CO

White crowns, no-shot Hall crowns, and stainless steel caps for baby teeth, placed by a board-certified pediatric dentist . We treat kids from Dacono, Firestone, and Frederick, and we'll show you exactly what each tooth needs before we touch it.

What a kids' dental crown is, and when your child actually needs one

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that covers a decayed or broken baby tooth so it can chew and hold space until it falls out on its own. Your child needs one when a cavity is too big or too deep for a filling to hold.

Fillings patch a small hole. A crown rebuilds the whole tooth. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends full-coverage crowns for baby teeth when decay reaches more than one surface, after a baby root canal (pulpotomy), or when a filling has already failed once. Waiting too long on a back molar can cost your child the tooth early, and a lost baby molar lets the other teeth drift into the space the adult tooth needs.

We recommend a crown when:

Decay covers two or more surfaces of the tooth, or wraps around a corner
The tooth had a pulpotomy and needs full protection to survive
A filling in that tooth keeps breaking or falling out
A baby tooth is cracked, chipped, or broken from a fall
Your child has a high decay rate or weak enamel and that tooth needs a full seal

Three crown options, side by side

Most Dacono-area pages describe crowns in general. Here is an honest comparison of the three crown options we place, so you can understand which may fit your child before the visit.

White Crown

Zirconia or NuSmile BioFlex

Drilling: Yes, the tooth is shaped.
Numbing shot: Yes, local anesthetic is used.
Number of visits: One visit.
Appearance: Tooth-colored and designed to look like a natural tooth.
Best for: Front teeth and molars where appearance matters.
What research shows: 97.1% five-year retention.
Relative cost: Highest of the three options.

Hall Crown

Stainless Steel, No-Drill

Drilling: None.
Numbing shot: No shot is usually needed.
Number of visits: One visit.
Appearance: Silver, not tooth-colored.
Best for: Young or anxious children, back molars, and situations where avoiding sedation is preferred.
What research shows: 80% more likely to last than a filling and performs on par with conventional crowns.
Relative cost: Lower than a white crown.

A Hall crown is a stainless steel crown placed over the tooth without drilling. It can only be used when the tooth is not already infected. More information about this option appears below.

Conventional Stainless Steel Crown

Drilling: Yes, the tooth is shaped.
Numbing shot: Yes, local anesthetic is used.
Number of visits: One visit.
Appearance: Silver, not tooth-colored.
Best for: Large areas of decay affecting multiple tooth surfaces or teeth that have received a pulpotomy.
What research shows: 97.9% five-year retention and is considered the gold standard.
Relative cost: Lower than a white crown.

What do kids' crowns cost near Dacono?

Your child's cost depends on which crown the tooth needs and what your insurance covers. We verify your benefits up front and give you a written estimate before treatment starts, so you see the number before we begin, not on a surprise bill after.

Most practice websites in the Dacono, Firestone, and Frederick area stay vague about cost and leave you guessing until the bill lands. We would rather put the estimate in your hands first.

How cost works at Mini Miners

We take most major dental insurance, including Delta Dental of Colorado, Cigna, Aetna PPO, Anthem, MetLife, United Concordia, and United Healthcare.
We verify your benefits and hand you a written estimate before any treatment, so there are no billing surprises.
No dental insurance? Our Mini Miners Membership gives families a flat annual rate with no waiting periods, and we offer in-office payment plans for larger treatment.

Mini Miners accepts major private insurance and membership, not Medicaid.

White crowns for front teeth and back molars

White crowns are tooth-colored zirconia or NuSmile Bioflex caps that look like a natural tooth. Mini Miners is one of the few offices near Dacono that places them on back molars, not just front teeth.

Why parents choose them

Tooth-colored, so the repair does not show when your child smiles
Metal-free, a fit for kids with metal sensitivities
Smooth surface that is gentle on the teeth it bites against
Placed on front teeth and molars in a single visit

What to expect

We numb the area and offer sedation if your child needs it
We gently remove decay and shape the tooth
We fit and cement the crown the same day
Your child eats normally by that evening

Trade-off worth knowing: zirconia is strong but requires removing more tooth structure than a stainless steel crown, so it is not always the right pick for a small or already-weak tooth.

Hall crowns: no drill, no shot

A Hall crown is a stainless steel crown slipped over a decayed baby molar with no drilling and no numbing shot. Sealing the tooth starves the cavity bacteria of food, and the decay stops growing.

This is the option most Dacono-area websites leave out. For a young or anxious child, it can mean the difference between a calm five-minute visit and a sedation appointment. A 2024 meta-analysis found the Hall Technique is 80% more likely to succeed than a conventional filling for suitable molars, and holds up about as well as a drilled-and-cemented crown. It is explicitly used to reduce the need for sedation or general anesthesia in little kids.

What to expect

A tiny spacer sits between the teeth for a few days first
No numbing and no drill; nitrous is available if your child is nervous
We seat the crown over the tooth and check the bite
Quick, calm, and low-stress

When a Hall crown is not right

The tooth is already infected or has an abscess
The decay has reached the nerve and needs a pulpotomy first
The tooth is close to falling out anyway

We check with an x-ray before recommending it. If the tooth is infected, we treat that first, honestly.

Conventional stainless steel crowns

Stainless steel crowns are the most durable option and the AAPD's gold standard for baby teeth with large, multi-surface decay or after a baby root canal.

They are silver, so they show on back molars where looks matter less. In a 2025 systematic review they held a 97.9% five-year retention rate, the highest of any crown material studied. When a tooth is badly broken down, this is the crown most likely to carry it to the finish line.

Which crown is right for your child?

A quick guide based on the tooth and your child. We confirm with an exam and x-ray, but this is how we usually think about it.

A front tooth that shows

White zirconia crown. It is the only option that looks like a natural tooth.

A back molar, young or anxious child

Hall crown if the tooth is not infected. No shot, no drill, no sedation needed.

Large decay on a back molar

Stainless steel or white crown, depending on whether looks matter to you.

After a baby root canal (pulpotomy)

A full crown, stainless steel or white, to protect the treated tooth.

Metal sensitivity

White zirconia crown, which is completely metal-free.

Cost is the deciding factor

Hall or stainless steel. Both cost less than zirconia and last just as long.

Told your child needs a lot of crowns? Get a second look.

Not every cavity needs a crown, and not every large treatment plan is necessary. If another office quoted your three or five-year-old for eight or ten crowns, a second opinion is reasonable.

Parents compare notes on this constantly, and sometimes a second exam finds that fewer teeth need work, or that a filling will do. We will sit down with the x-rays, show you what each tooth actually needs, and tell you plainly when watchful waiting or a smaller repair is the better call. A crown is the right answer often. It is not the right answer always, and you deserve to see the evidence either way.

Care by a board-certified pediatric dentist

Dr. Alison Grover is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, a title only about one-third of U.S. pediatric dentists hold. She earned her DDS at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, completed a general practice residency and a two-year pediatric residency, and holds her pediatric certificate from UCLA, with a child-psychology background from Wellesley College.

Kids' dental crowns: parent questions

How much do dental crowns cost for kids?

Your cost depends on the crown type and your insurance coverage. At Mini Miners we verify your benefits and give you a written estimate before treatment, so you know the amount before we start. No insurance? Ask about our membership plan and in-office payment plans.

White crown or Hall crown, which is better?

Neither is better in general; they solve different problems. A white crown looks natural and suits front teeth or any tooth where appearance matters. A Hall crown needs no drilling or shot and is ideal for a young or anxious child with a back molar that is not infected. If you want to skip sedation, ask about a Hall crown first.

Does getting a crown hurt?

A Hall crown involves no drilling and no numbing shot, so there is little to no discomfort. For white and conventional stainless steel crowns we numb the tooth and offer sedation, so your child does not feel pain. Nitrous is available for nervous kids either way.

Does the decay keep growing under a Hall crown?

No. Sealing the tooth cuts the cavity bacteria off from the sugars they feed on, and the decay arrests. This is well documented, which is why the Hall Technique works without removing the decay first, as long as the tooth is not already infected.

Are white (zirconia) crowns safe for children?

Yes. Zirconia is biocompatible and metal-free, and in a 2025 review it held a 97.1% five-year retention rate. The main trade-off is that it requires removing a bit more tooth structure than a stainless steel crown.

How long do baby-tooth crowns last?

A crown is designed to last until the baby tooth falls out naturally, usually two to five years depending on the tooth. Stainless steel crowns showed a 97.9% five-year retention rate in a 2025 systematic review.

Why crown a baby tooth if it is going to fall out anyway?

Because a back baby molar may not fall out until age 10 to 12. Losing it early lets neighboring teeth drift into the space the adult tooth needs, which can lead to crowding and orthodontic work later. A crown keeps the tooth doing its job until it is ready to go.

My child was told they need eight or ten crowns. Is that normal?

It can be, for a child with severe early decay, but it is worth a second opinion. We are glad to review the x-rays and give you an honest read on how many teeth truly need a crown versus a filling. Call us to set up a second-opinion exam.