does root canal treamtnet discolor teeth?

Question

After a tooth has root canal treatment done to it, does it discolor in the future? If so, can a crown be placed over it to fix that problem or does the tooth have to be extracted?

Answer 1

Yes, a root canal treated tooth does darken over time. The nerve or pulp of a tooth is it's blood supply, carrying nutrients, keeping the tooth alive and healthy. Once this is removed, the tooth has a tendency to become dried out and brittle, changing the color of the tooth, or darkening it. We always recommend placing a crown on these teeth to give them the added strength they need to keep them from breaking and also to shade the tooth to match all the other teeth. Hope I've been of some help.

Additional information: I hate to differ with Dr Albert, but I've seen too many anterior teeth discolored due to, and prior to having a root canal treatment. I had to have one crowned myself. The anterior teeth are at risk of fracture "just" as much as the posterior due to their function, that of biting and tearing which flexes the anterior teeth making them more susceptible to fracture. Anterior teeth have the nerve or blood supply removed just as posterior teeth have due to a root canal treatment, thus making them brittle too. This really is an assesment your dentist will need to make due to the tooth and loss of structure during the root canal procedure. It's highly possible that this tooth will need a post and core build up along with the root canal therapy. These are treatments that your dentist will need to address due to many factors involved in making these decisions. But any tooth that has had a root canal has lost it's blood supply and will darken over time, some sooner than others.

Answer 2

The tooth can turn dark after the canal is done because the filler can show through, usually the tooth becomes brittle and needs a crown on it so it will not break. I've had root canals, cancer wrecked my teeth, and I did wind up losing the canal teeth which stunk after spending so much money on it. Sometimes the root canal doesn't take and the infection doesn't go out of the tooth and it has to be pulled. They are expensive ranging from $800 on up depending on how many roots are involved and crowns cost at least $1,000 up in Ny where I live. I would only do a canal at this point if it's a front tooth, back ones for me will be pulled and a bridge or partial put in.

Answer 3

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RE:
does root canal treamtnet discolor teeth?
After a tooth has root canal treatment done to it, does it discolor in the future? If so, can a crown be placed over it to fix that problem or does the tooth have to be extracted?

Answer 4

More than likely its going to discolor. The nerve is destroyed when you get a root canal. the tooth becomes "dead"

Answer 5

HELLO,

I'VE SEEN FRONT TEETH THAT DID NOT HAVE CROWNS AND THESE HAD NOT DISCOLORED. THESE TEETH HAD RECEIVED ROOT CANALS SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR. THE TRUE DANGER OF TEETH IN THE POSTERIOR IS DUE TO THE TENDENCY OF TEETH THAT HAD HAD ROOT CANALS BECOMING BRITTLE A CROWN NEEDS TO PLACED TO PREVENT FRACTURE OF THE TOOTH.