It takes time for an infection to become evident – Some dental schools teach dentist to wait six months after root canal treatment before crowning a tooth. But a dentist doesn't always wait that long because each patient's case is different. Waiting to place the crown allows time for problems to surface.
If you wait to have a root canal, you're only providing that infection more time to gain strength and spread. Infection can spread from the tooth into the bloodstream, and then you have a much more serious issue than a common and routine dental practice.
You must undergo a root canal within a few weeks to fully eliminate the infection and save your tooth. In general, a root canal typically takes about two hours to complete, but it can require subsequent visits depending on the severity of the damage.
This means that after having a root canal treatment, it's important for you to wait for at least four weeks before getting a crown. A crown should be placed within a few months of the root canal, but it can take up to a year for your tooth's nerves to heal completely.
In case a person does not treat a dental abscess in its initial stage, then the infection may last anywhere between 5 months to 12 months or even more. Moreover, if no treatment is meted out to the condition, the precious dental pulp will die away and may get another abscess.
If you delay root canal treatment, the oral infection continues to get worse, and it can even lead to a very serious condition called septicemia — when the localized infection from your tooth spreads through your body. This can quickly become a dangerous health situation that you want to avoid at all costs.
While it takes a long time for a tooth infection to become fatal, it's possible for a tooth infection to develop into sepsis if left untreated. Typically, this process takes a few months. And even though it may feel like your pain subsides when the abscess bursts, don't be fooled.
A tooth can survive for several weeks without a crown. However, this is not advisable as your teeth remain exposed. This could make your teeth sensitive to hot or cold temperatures and cause further damage.
If your dentist recommends a dental crown, you should get it placed as soon as the inflammation and discomfort from the infected root canal subsides. This is typically about a week after the root canal treatment. Most dentists recommend you get your dental crown placed within 30 days of your root canal treatment.
Also, if you wait too long to get a permanent crown after the initial treatment, there's an increased risk of a bacterial infection. In such a case, you might need root canal retreatment to remove the infection again before placing a crown.
A Root Canal Counts As An Emergency Dental Treatment
A root canal is typically considered to fall under the umbrella of emergency dentistry. Tooth infections are extremely painful and uncomfortable, and they can cause serious complications if they are left untreated, including the death of the infected tooth.
An emergency root canal can be a lifesaver when you find yourself dealing with unbearable tooth pain. This is often the result of a severely damaged tooth with a compromised pulp chamber. It can also be from an infection that has made its way to the pulp and nerve.
In most cases, the canals are first filled with antibiotic medications and temporary filling materials up to the gum line. Depending on the circumstances, the root canal may be left open for a few days in order to drain. In some cases, the canals may be filled right away with a final root canal filling.
Patients should plan to rest the day of their root canal procedure, and most can return to work the very next day. Our bodies need proper healing time, and this time can vary between patients. In most cases we recommend patients can return to work the day after their root canal procedure.
But if a patient delays in getting a crown in a reasonable amount of time, eventually the decay will reach the inner layer of a tooth where the pulp and nerve reside. Then a root canal is necessary to remove the infected nerve.
The root canal procedure is completed in two separate visits to ensure that the tooth is thoroughly cleaned out, sealed up, and protected from further damage.
The front teeth are not put under as much pressure as the molars. After a root canal, they can simply be restored with dental filling and left without a crown. However, if the front tooth has been discolored by decay, then a crown should be fitted for cosmetic purposes.
Once the dental implant is placed, there's a healing time involved and this varies from patient to patient. Some patients heal very fast and are ready for their crowns in a couple of months. For some patients, it can take 6 months or more.
Performing a Root Canal on a Crowned Tooth
The dentist can perform the root canal through the crown or remove the crown before performing the root canal. Next, the dentist will remove the damaged or decayed parts of the tooth and then use your existing crown or a new one to cover the tooth.
Though you can eat after your dental crown falls off, you should try to limit yourself to liquids and soft foods. Avoid chewy or sticky foods. Try to restrict your diet to soft foods like applesauce, pudding, and soups until you have a solution to your crown problem.
Signs of bacteremia could be slight fever, nausea and distal infection. Rarely, bacteremia may resolve on its own. It also may progress into septicemia, a more serious blood infection that is always accompanied by symptoms such as chills, high fever, rapid heartbeat, severe nausea, vomiting and confusion.
A persistently high fever, dizziness, lightheadedness, a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, confusion, and digestive problems are potential signs of sepsis and should be treated as a medical emergency.
The tooth infection spread to brain symptoms are more or less similar to the symptoms you see when the infection has spread to the body, but brain abscesses also have some other telltale clues: Confusion or irritability. Issues with nerve function, like muscle weakness or even paralysis. Seizures.
Like any other medical or dental procedure, though, a root canal can occasionally fail. This is normally due to a loose crown, tooth fracture, or new decay. Root canals can fail soon after the procedure, or even years later.