Is the Metallic Color of Stainless Steel Crown Satisfying for Cooperative Children and their Parents? a Preliminary Study

Statement of the Problem: 

Currently, the demand for tooth-colored restorations in children and young adults is increasing. Stainless steel crown (SSC) is the most common restoration for decayed primary molars. Given the dark metallic color of SSC, the esthetic appearance of this restoration is poor and subsequently their acceptance is still a matter of debate.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of restoration’s color on children’s daily living conditions and compare the clinical and radiographic success rates of composite resins with SSC in primary molars.

This clinical trial study was performed on 70 primary molars in 44 healthy 4- to 7-year-old children. The children were randomly divided into two groups: restored with SSC and restored with composite resin. Two researcher-made questionnaires were used to assess the children’s satisfaction concerning the appearance and color of restoration. The data were analyzed with SPSS 20 using chi-squared, Fisher’s, and Mann-Whitney U tests. The significance level was set at p< 0.05.

Children’s satisfaction with restoration color in the treatment session was 75% in the SSC group and 85% in the composite resin group. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.246). After one year of follow-up, the satisfaction rate decreased to 69% in the SSC group and increased to 90.6% in the composite resin group, with a significant difference (p< 0.001). Moreover, the frequency of clinical success was 95% in the SSC group and 96.7% in the composite resin group, with no statistically significant difference (p= 0.749). The frequency of radiographic success was 87.5% in the SSC group and 100% in the composite resin group; this difference was not significant (p= 0.061).

The results verified that restoration color was not important for cooperative children in the treatment session. However, after one year, children who received composite resin restorations were pointedly more satisfied than those who were treated with SSC restorations.