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A crown is a sort of dental cap that is designed to entirely encase an existing tooth. There are a variety of reasons that your dentist might recommend the use of a crown, but they are all some variation of an attempt to strengthen or improve the appearance of the underlying tooth.
A common use for crown and bridges is to reinforce and protect a tooth following an endodontic treatment, or root canal. As a general rule, almost every root canal involves placing a crown over the affected tooth. But let’s take a closer look at why, and under what circumstances you might be able to avoid having to undergo this part of the procedure.
In order to understand why a crown procedure is often required following a root canal, it’s important that we understand some more about what a root canal is designed to achieve.
A root canal is a fairly involved procedure, designed to help resolve an advanced infection within a tooth. It involves drilling in through the top of the tooth and clearing away any infected pulp in an effort to preserve the tooth and prevent the infection from worsening.
Despite being an effective way of tackling an advanced infection, the process of drilling and clearing away the infected pulp tends to compromise and weaken the structure of the tooth. In order to ensure that the tooth doesn’t cause problems in the future, a crown is often used to reinforce the compromised tooth and complete the procedure.
Typically, the teeth that sit toward the back of the mouth are where the more advanced infections take hold. This also makes them the most common candidates for root canal therapy. The work that is expected of the back teeth means that a compromised tooth is almost certain to cause problems if left exposed.
The front teeth tend to do much less of the work while eating, but they are also much more visible. One common result of an endodontic treatment is that the cleared tooth takes on a grey discolouration. In cases such as these, a crown is often a welcome method of not only adding strength and integrity to the tooth, but also to match the colouring to the neighbouring teeth.
The teeth toward the front of the mouth are where it is most likely that you will be able to avoid having to have a crown put in place following a root canal. But every tooth that undergoes the excavation involved in a root canal will need some reinforcement. For incisors and canine teeth toward the front of the mouth, it is possible that your dentist might be comfortable with a simple filling.
At Marsfield Dental Care, we have decades of experience providing dental treatments and advice to our Sydney patients. To learn more about these routine treatments, and how we can help you at Marsfield Dental Care, reach out today by calling (02) 9887 1961 or leave an enquiry and we’ll get back to you shortly.
"The information in this website may be simplified in nature and does not replace professional advice. Risks and consequences may apply to any treatment. Always seek a second opinion when considering complex treatment. A referral to a specialist may be required in certain situations. Quotations can only be given after proper clinical assessment and so pricing details cannot be given over the phone."
