The purpose of this short article is to give you a little information and background concerning teeth that have received root canal therapy.
When the pulp tissue has been removed from the tooth during a root canal treatment, more than just the nerve has been removed. We usually stress that the nerve is being removed since we associate the pain in the tooth coming from the nerves. This is correct , but the blood vessels entering the tooth are also removed. This has a tendency to cause the tooth to desiccate or "dry up" over time, since the internal flow of blood keeps the tooth moist and nourished.
So how does this drying-up affect the health of the tooth? The crown, which is the portion that you see above the gumline, has a higher tendency to fracture over time; this being even more likely if you already have a large filling. Therefore, in order to protect this crown, an artificial crown made by your dentist is the solution.
This crown can be made of gold, other metals, porcelain combined with metal, or porcelain alone. All these options can be explained in detail by myself or my staff. Please don't hesitate to ask. The placement of a crown takes two visits; the first is to prepare the tooth and take a mould which is then sent to a dental laboratory. A temporary crown is placed over the tooth. One week later the permanent crown is cemented. You should expect many years of service from this crown.
What happens if you don't crown your tooth? Well, for some lucky people , the tooth continues to function without breaking. This is rare, especially if you add on the years. Given enough time , the tooth usually begins to fracture, piece by piece until a filling can no longer solve the problem. More unfortunate is the situation whereby the tooth fractures vertically under the gum; in this situation the tooth usually has to be removed.
I hope this information has helped you understand why crowns are highly recommended after root canal therapy. If you have further questions , please do not hesitate to contact us.
