Do steel crowns on kids have to be replaced with porcelain?

The dentist says that all the steel crowns have to be replaced on my 15 year old twins. (I say if it isn't broke, don't fix it.) But they say that it messes up their gums. Is that true? Should I let them do it? Should I wait until they are older?

Do steel crowns on kids have to be replaced with porcelain?
What they are saying is true.





Are the stainless steel crowns on baby teeth? Or permanent teeth?





The stainless steel is USUALLY only used on baby teeth, therefore once the tooth exfoliates, the crown is gone. But if it was done on a permanent tooth, the porcelain crown should be done.





It can be an irritant to your childrens gums. Also, the stainless steel crowns are not as strong/permanent. They will eventually decay and break off, and may result in the loss of that tooth down the road. Its best to fix it now, in order to save the heartache later.





To the poster below me - it is AMALGAM you are talking about - the metal fillings. That isn't what she is asking about. A metal filling and steel crown are too different things.
Reply:Replacing an amalgamate filling with porcelain sounds like cosmetic reason to me. Amalgamates last MUCH longer than porcelain. Decades, even..





Get a second opinion if possible. Dentists have a nasty habit of replacing unnecessary filling because it's fast and easy, but they paid tons of money for it.