Reasons You May Need a Crown After Root Canal Treatment

Do You Need a Crown After a Root Canal Procedure?

During the root canal treatment (RCT), the decayed tooth structure and the infected pulp is removed along with its blood supply. With no blood supply , there is lack of nourishment to the remaining tooth, because of which it becomes brittle. As a result the entire structure of the tooth becomes more prone to fractures. These fractures can be detrimental to a point where a tooth can become non-salvageable. In such conditions the only option left is to extract the tooth. Also, due to the brittle nature of the treated tooth, its normal functionality is lost. To make this tooth functional and to prevent the tooth from fracturing, dentists recommend covering the root-canal-treated tooth with a crown.

If bacteria from the mouth find a way to seep past a tooth’s dental restoration (also called coronal leakage), RCT done on the tooth can fail. A crown is therefore important after RCT, as it seals the root canal space, thus decreasing the likelihood of further infections. Crowns, therefore, can save you from costly dental treatments in the future.

A crown is also required when any decay or fracture that leads to RCT has caused extensive damage to a tooth. Most posterior teeth need crowns after RCT, as the chewing force is maximum on these teeth. It can also be used for anterior teeth that have large cavities or fractures.

Fixing a crown is a separate procedure from the RCT. While root canal is used to treat infections, crown is used to reinforce weak teeth. Crown takes care of the large amount of damage caused by  tooth decay. You can get the crowns made with different materials  like all porcelain ( preferred  for front teeth due to aesthetic reasons), porcelain fused to metal or all metal (preferred  for back teeth).

Many people from East Berlin come to our office because we are conveniently located next to Target. Our flexible hours and family dental practice makes it easy for busy families to schedule visits for both parents and children.To know more about dental crowns or root canal treatment, contact Green Meadow Dental at 3579 B Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111 (860)-865-0056.