So you had root canal treatment done and managed to have all your symptoms such as pain and sensitivity relieved. Your dentist tells you need a crown after the root canal. Patients often ask us:
“Do I have to get a crown? I don’t want to spend extra money or time than what is absolutely necessary. I feel fine as is.”
Here is the answer.
Did you know that a study published in the The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry found that the 5 year survival rate for a root canal treated tooth without a crown is only 36%? In comparison, a study in the Journal of Endodontics found more than 90% survival rate for teeth restored with crowns after a root canal procedure.
The primary benefit of placing the dental crown is to protect the brittle root canal treated tooth and greatly improve the long term survival rate.
During an endodontic (root canal) procedure, the small, threadlike tissue in the tooth’s center, known as the diseased or damaged pulp, is removed. The remaining space is then cleaned, shaped, and filled.
Even though root canals save teeth from extraction, they cannot restore teeth to their former strength.
This is because a root canal treated tooth is essentially a dead tooth with their source of nourishment (blood vessels) removed. The tooth will lose most of its strength and have significantly increased chance of fracturing. A study proves the tooth loses up to 66% of its strength in tooth stiffness.
Remember, every time when you apply pressure to your teeth, such as biting down on food, the sheer force of your bite can easily crack a root canal treated tooth.
We often stress to our patients that they only get one chance at protecting their natural tooth. Once it fractures, more of the time the only option is extraction.
Should the tooth not be crowned, there is a risk that the tooth may fracture. In the event this happens, placing a crown is often too late, and the only remaining option might be extraction and a single tooth implant, denture, or bridge. You have wasted all the time, energy, and costs in having the tooth root canal treated.
Apart from protecting the root canal treated tooth from force, there are also numerous other reasons why your dentist recommends a crown be placed on top. These include:
In the end, your dentist will help you determine the best option for protecting your tooth following a root canal procedure. If you’re worried about the cost or appearance of a crown, bring those concerns to your dentist so you can work together to find the best solution for your smile.
At Smile in the City, we only use 100% Australian made and designed dental crowns for our patients which are of the highest quality. We never outsource the job to countries such as China or India for a restoration which is designed to last for a long time.
The patient presented to our clinic two years after having the root canal done without a crown.
The tooth in question is split in half. The tooth was severely compromised, making it almost impossible to successfully restore the tooth. Placing a crown was already too late. The patient had no choice but to lose their natural tooth.
If the tooth had been crowned after root canal treatment, then the tooth would have been protected. Extraction would have likely been avoided, and the cost of a crown is significantly less than the cost of a single implant.
As the case study demonstrates, you only get one chance at saving your natural tooth. Furthermore, having a crown made before any damage is in fact more affordable when viewed in the long run.