If your child is at the age where he or she is losing teeth as the permanent teeth come in, it may seem silly to have a crown put on a baby tooth that is damaged. However, there are a number of good reasons to have the procedure done. Whether your child chipped a tooth, or a tooth is so severely decayed that it is crumbling, you should talk to your dentist about having a crown put on the tooth for the following benefits.

Keeping Space and Guiding Permanent Teeth

A crumbling baby tooth does not keep the surrounding teeth from moving out of place. A single crumbling baby tooth may be the cause of many permanent teeth being out of place as they try to come in. This means the child will need braces to get his or her teeth properly aligned. This is why you should ask your dentist about having a crown instead of removing a badly decayed tooth.

Proper Digestion

As your child chews food, it adds saliva and starts to break the food into nutrients, starting the digestion process.  A chipped tooth, or one that is decayed or missing, can interfere with this process. In a young child, this can pose a choking threat. Not being able to chew your food properly may result in indigestion, bloating, gas and nutrient deficiencies.

Speech Problems

Anytime there is a disruption in the spacing or alignment of your teeth, you may have problems producing certain sounds. For example, if a front tooth is chipped or missing, sounds that are made by pressing the tongue against that tooth, such as the "th" sound, cannot be properly pronounced.The child may try to compensate for this by forming a sound that is similar but still different. He or she may continue to use this alternate sound long after the permanent teeth have grown in. In other words, he or she may have a lisp or some other speech impediment when it is not necessary.

It might not seem like a big deal to have a baby tooth that is chipped, broken or decayed because it will be replaced by permanent teeth eventually. However, there can be long term consequences for ignoring a problem. Do not think it would be best to have the tooth pulled either; that little tooth is holding a space for a bigger tooth. Whether it is a baby tooth or a permanent tooth, keeping it in place and in shape is the best thing for your overall health. Dental crowns can help do just that.