Will I need a crown after having a root canal?
If you've had a root canal, you might be wondering if you need to get a crown. A crown is a tooth cap that covers and protects the tooth. It's an option for people who have had endodontic treatment (such as a root canal) to strengthen their weakened teeth and prevent further damage.
You might need a crown after having a root canal to protect your tooth.
If you've been experiencing tooth pain or have been referred to our office by a dentist, you might need a root canal. A root canal is a treatment for infected teeth, and a root canal procedure is performed to remove the diseased pulp (the soft tissue inside your tooth) that has become infected with bacteria and/or toxins.
To understand whether or not you need a crown after getting a root canal procedure done, it is important to know how the procedure works in order to make an informed decision about your treatment options and what those options mean for your oral health going forward. We wrote this blog post to help you feel more comfortable when coming to speak with Dr. Nieves and our team here at Granbury Endodontics, but no blog post can replace just giving us a call to see how we can help!
In general, two factors determine whether you might need a crown: the extent of the decay to your tooth and which tooth it is. For instance, if you have extensive decay in a molar on the side of your mouth that you use most for chewing, a crown might be recommended to help protect the work done by Dr. Nieves.
Now, let's discuss a little bit about what a crown is and why you might need one.
A crown is a type of tooth cap that covers and protects the tooth.
A crown is a type of tooth cap that covers and protects the tooth. Crowns can be made from porcelain or metal and are cemented to the tooth. A crown can be both functional or aesthetic; that is, the crown protects the tooth but can also be molded to look like a tooth so that it looks like you never had a root canal in the first place! A crown is also generally more preferable than having a tooth extracted (at least in our opinion).
A crown is permanently sealed to the top of your tooth, so it's designed to be extremely durable and helpful to the function of your teeth. Crowns aren't difficult to take care of, and with a healthy oral routine and habits, a crown is likely to last anywhere from 5-15 years. Just make sure you brush, floss and see your dentist at least twice a year so he or she can keep an eye on the crown and make sure it lasts as long as possible.
A dental crown will protect your weakened teeth after a root canal.
A strong, durable dental crown will help you avoid further damage to your weakened teeth after a root canal treatment by protecting them from chewing forces and other trauma. Additionally, if you begin to feel pain or discomfort in the area surrounding your root canal filling(s), it may indicate that bacteria are reinfecting the tooth as it heals after having had its pulp removed (i.e., during an endodontic procedure). In this case, having an additional layer of protection in place with a dental crown could prevent any further complications from developing.
Whether or not you need a crown depends greatly on the position of your tooth in your mouth.
Since we often perform root canal procedures on molars (the teeth in the back of your mouth), there's a good chance that a crown may be an option since we know that you're going to continue getting a lot of use out of those teeth from chewing. As mentioned above, the functional benefit of a crown is to protect your teeth after the root canal, so if there's a chance we think you might have a tooth that's a good candidate for a crown, Dr. Nieves will discuss your options with you.
At Granbury Endodontics, we’re here to help.
Dental crowns are an important part of any treatment plan for a tooth with a root canal. If you're not sure whether or not you'll need one, give us a call (817-776-4646) or set up an appointment with our office and we'll help you figure out what treatment is right for you!