Is a crown necessary immediately after root canal?

Question

I have a tooth I either need to get extracted or a root canal done. Problem being if i get the root canal its going to exhaust my money. The Endodontist says I need to get it crowned right away but after I talked to my General Dentist he says I could wait until the beginning of next year to get it done. Whos right?

Answer 1

I'm a dentist.

Seeing an endodontist was a mistake. Yes, they are slightly to moderately better at performing root canals than general dentists are, but they also charge obscene amounts of money to perform the procedure. They are, in my opinion, an absolute disgrace to the dental profession. They are dentists who specializes in diseases of the pulp. They're the equivalent of a physician who specializes in the foreskin of a penis. Utterly lame. They exist because many general dentists are too goddamned lazy to spend the time performing complex root canal therapy, and because they can get away with charging obscene fees--literally 50 to 100% more than a general dentist would charge. And for what? A 10% greater chance that the root canal would succeed?

I suggest you find another general dentist, i.e. one who is comfortable performing most root canals. There are many out there. And when you leave your current doctor, be sure and tell him why.

Anyways, you can wait as long as you want to get the crown. You may fracture the tooth tomorrow, or you may never fracture it. But each minute you go without having the tooth protected by a crown is a minute that you risk fracturing the tooth irreparably.

Answer 2

Root Canal Without Crown

Answer 3

Root Canal Crown

Answer 4

Here it is short and sweet... never extract a tooth that can be saved... get the root canal and then ask for a foundational filling (sometimes called a build up filling) to hold you over until you save money for the crown. This foundational filling is NOT a temp.crown, you can't have a temp crown in your mouth for too long. Be careful with eating on the root canal side of your mouth until you can save up for the permanent crown. Your tooth becomes brittle eventually after a root canal so don't go years without getting one.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is a crown necessary immediately after root canal?
I have a tooth I either need to get extracted or a root canal done. Problem being if i get the root canal its going to exhaust my money. The Endodontist says I need to get it crowned right away but after I talked to my General Dentist he says I could wait until the beginning of next year to get it...

Answer 6

The root canal and crown are two very different procedures. Each are required for different reasons as well. The root canal is usually due to trauma or irreversible nerve damage that causes the death of the pulp. The crown is used to replace missing tooth structure or to make the tooth more solid or stable allowing for function in the mouth. Although a root canal does negate the need for a crown to be placed on a tooth for optimal restorative success.

When a root canal is preformed the nerve or pulp is removed. This nerve is the tooth's life line which supplies it with the vital nutrients keeping the tooth flexible and healthy to withstand the forces of chewing during mastication. Without the nerve the tooth becomes dry and brittle which makes it highly susceptible to breaking, fracturing or splitting through the roots, thus causing the need for it to be extracted. The roots canals are sealed with a filling material making them structurally sound. The top of the tooth where the access to the canals is wide open, this leaves 4 weak cusp or an outer shell of the tooth that will require further treatment to regain it's full function.

The tooth is already missing a lot of structure that had to be removed just to gain access to the canals for the therapy to be preformed; this makes the "shell" of the outer tooth much weaker. Taking this into consideration the tooth requires a build up or filling which will replace the missing tooth structure adding stability. Since it's blood supply is no longer there it will become dried out and brittle making it susceptible to breakage even with the build up placed due to expansion and contraction of the tooth and build up or filling material being at different ratios. This is why a crown is needed.

A crown completely covers or encloses the tooth’s outer area that is exposed in the mouth. They are typically made from porcelain fused to metal which is strong enough to withstand the forces of chewing. This along with the build up that was placed gives the tooth the added structure and support to regain its strength for optimal function within the mouth also eliminating the ability of the expansion and contraction of the build up material and natural tooth to take place.

So in some cases such as yours may be, where the opening was not extremely large for the root canal to be preformed, a build up can be placed and the crown can be postponed for a short while. The dentist will take the tooth out of occlusion, keeping you from using it to chew with as an added precaution. It's not the best way to restore the tooth, but it can work if the patient realizes and understands the need to have the crown work completed as soon as possible and avoids chewing hard foods on that tooth. Hope I've helped you to realize the importance of both of these treatments and the reasons for both to be preformed consecutively, to restore your tooth to normal function. Listen to your dentist, he will explain it just as I have and will advise you what is best to restore and retain your tooth for a lifetime of use. Good luck and hope everything works out well for you.

Answer 7

I have had a couple of root canals and I got crowns right away. When they do a root canal they basically grind your tooth away, pull out the roots, and then a temporary crown is placed on the tooth stump until your "real" crown is delivered at which time the temporary crown is replaced with it. Your temporary crown can last a long time allowing you to save your money for the cost of the permanent crown. The only problem you might have is the crown falling off but you can go to your dentist and they can glue it back on for you. So, I would say just stick with the temporary crown until you have saved your money. I know how expensive crowns can be.

Answer 8

a tooth could be temporarly built up with filling material but eventually will need the crown .a tooth becomes brittle after rct so it could break or split then you have spent a lot of money and still lose the tooth. I work on teeth everyday.

Answer 9

Your dentist is right. These Endo guys only get one shot at you, so they try to maximize their market potential while they've got you!