Why do I need a crown after a root canal?

Monday, January 28, 2008

When the root canal procedure is completed, a crown is most often recommended to be placed on the tooth. There are 2 reasons for this:

1. The tooth will become brittle.
During the root canal procedure, the pulp of the tooth is removed. The tooth will no longer receive nutrients and will begin to “dry out” over a period of time. As the tooth dries, it will become brittle. The tooth is then vulnerable to cracking, breaking, or crumbling to pieces from everyday stress our teeth endure. Placing a crown on the tooth protects the fragile tooth and gives the tooth some added strength and durability for chewing.

2. Helps prevent root canal therapy failure.
During the final stages of the root canal therapy procedure, the inside of the tooth is filled with Gutta-percha and root canal cement. The inside of the tooth is sterile, free from infection, bacteria, and debris. The inside of the tooth is filled to seal it off to reduce any chances of bacteria or debris getting inside the tooth causing an infection to re-occur. If the infection re-occurs, the root canal therapy has failed and the tooth will either need to be retreated or extracted. A crown covers the entire outside of the tooth, acting as a protective barrier against bacteria and debris, thus helping to prevent the root canal therapy from failing.

Before a major restoration, such as a crown, is placed, it is advisable to wait at least 3 months, if possible, before having a crown placed. The reason is, you want to make sure the tooth is healing well after the root canal therapy procedure. Should there be any problems with the tooth, it is much easier for the dentist or endodontist to retreat the tooth if they do not have to work with a major permanent restoration such as a crown. In many cases, a composite filling, (white filling), can be placed on the tooth until a more permanent restoration, such as a crown, can be placed.