if you do not get a crown, can you get a cavity in a the tooth where the root canal was performed?

Question

I had a root canal done at the end of March of this year. That about killed my pockets at the tune of $1000 and of course, I needed a crown after that and just have not had enough extra money floating around to get one........I do not have dental insurance, as it is not provided at my place of employment.

Is it possible to get a cavity where inside the tooth where the root canal was? I have a whole there, and it is plugged for the most part, but I am sure the plug will continue to wear over time.

I am concerned, but still are in need of a few hudred dollars to finish the procedure.

Any advice????

And don't send me links to dental plans............this would be a pre-existing condition they WOULD NOT cover.

Thanks!!

Answer 1

Yes, the tooth can still develop decay.
But the most important reason to crown them is to prevent root fractures.
Whereas teeth with a standard depth filling will sometimes crack off a corner ABOVE the gumline over time and can be easily fixed, an RCTd tooth will crack BELOW the gum and is usually unsalvageable.
To prevent cracking whilst you save up the money for a crown, you might ask your dentist to put an orthodontic band around it as reinforcement, or cut off the top 2mm of the tooth so as to take it out of chewing function.

Answer 2

You could still get a cavity but much worse the tooth will eventually darken and get brittle. You take the risk of cracking the tooth if it's not crowned.

Answer 3

add. to my last post.......your tooth will be ok while you save the money just avoid hard foods and ice chewing.