A root canal (or what is actually root canal therapy) is not necessarily required in order to place a dental crown. A dental crown is often placed on a living tooth (a tooth that has not undergone root canal therapy). Crowns are often used on non-root-canal-treated teeth that are structurally compromised.
Technically, you don't always need a root canal treatment before getting a dental crown. Sometimes a dental crown improves the appearance of a stained or discolored tooth. While the dentist may stain the tooth's enamel, the inside of the tooth isn't compromised, and therefore a root canal isn't necessary.
There is a statistic that 5% to 7% of teeth that receive crown restorations end up needing root canal treatment. That means that 93% or more don't need root canal. The reason that this happens sometimes is that crowns in most cases are placed on teeth that are filled heavily in the first place.
If you have a dental problem, you may be wondering which dental procedure is right for you. For a severely decayed tooth, you can consider getting a root canal. For minor damages such as tooth chipping or discoloration, your dentist may suggest getting a dental crown.
You will need a new crown after having the root canal because the structural integrity of the crown would have been compromised. The root canal performed can become reinfected again if the old crown is used.
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.
Crowns can be used for a severely decayed tooth that can no longer be saved. Drilling the badly decayed section can often lead to cracks. Thus, protecting it with a crown can stop the decay from getting worse. When you misplaced any tooth in your mouth, the perfect treatment for proper restoration would be an implant.
It is possible to receive a root canal and crown during the same visit. Dr. Edward Knight and the team at Knight Dental Care in Midland, MI can help with these dental treatments. You won't have to spend weeks between each visit to receive a root canal and crown.
Why Not a Filling? A dental filling is designed to repair a small portion of your tooth that has been damaged by decay, while a crown restores your entire tooth. A crown allows you to protect your natural tooth structure and your root without losing the function you had when eating and chewing.
It's Always Better To Save Your Tooth With A Dental Crown
If your dentist recommends a dental crown and believes an extraction is unnecessary, you should listen to them. Whenever possible, it's better to save your natural tooth with a dental crown. It's cheaper, faster, and a better choice.
Unfortunately, if there isn't enough tooth remaining or if a significant amount of a tooth's structure has been removed, your dentist can't place a crown. Instead, they may suggest other options to restore your smile.
Getting a crown shouldn't cause you any more pain or discomfort than a typical filling. Your dentist will make sure that they put a local numbing jelly on your teeth, gums and surrounding tissues, but there is usually an anesthetic injected as well, so you might feel a small pinch.
Crowns are used if the damaged area is larger and needs a different solution. Sometimes the pulp inside a tooth that had a crown installed will eventually become infected and a root canal will become necessary. This could be any length of time after the crown is installed, 5, 10, 20 years later.
After a root canal, your tooth may be restored with a crown, and it will continue to function like any other tooth. The crown should be placed as soon as possible after the procedure. This is advisable because it will help protect your tooth and prevent any future problems.
If you wait a long time to undergo a root canal, bacteria will attack the tip of the tooth's root, causing serious bone loss. Such bone loss can result in tooth loss.
Will Medicare cover your dental needs? The short answer is no. When it comes to most dental care and procedures, Medicare offers no coverage. That includes cleanings, fillings, extractions, root canals, and dentures, among other things.
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.
You might opt for a filling instead. Keep in mind, however, that a filling does not prevent you from needing a crown later on. Also, if a substantial portion of your tooth needs filling, a better solution is usually the crown because fillings do not give you the same kind of protection as crowns do.
Metal Showing Through
In most cases, a black line forms because the metal from the crown is showing through. Since older dental crowns are typically made of porcelain fused to metal, the metal will eventually become exposed as the gumline moves and recedes over time.
How to tell if your tooth is rotting beneath a crown. If the affected area is quite small, it can be hard to detect any cavities or decay underneath it. To determine this, the dentist will usually use an x-ray. It will be up to him or her to know whether the teeth underneath are rotten or has any damage.
Root canals are often recommended when the pain or swelling is due to an infection deep within a tooth. If left untreated, this type of infection can cause tooth abscess, pulp death, bone loss, and loss of the tooth itself.
You might still need a root canal even if you do not feel any pain because not all infection results in pain. The purpose of a root canal is to handle any infection that has developed in your tooth pulp, not just stop you from feeling pain. A root canal can save your infected tooth from having to be extracted.
An untreated root canal can also lead to dental abscesses or a life-threatening heart attack, stroke, or sepsis. Not to mention the fact that if your infection progresses to this point, you will likely be in extreme pain.