I hope this doesn’t come across as argumentative, but the periodontal ligament is the only part of the “tooth” that can feel bite sensitivity. Pulpitic teeth will demonstrate inflammation in not just the pulp but also the ligament which is why they often become bite sensitive. Endodontic treatment does not destroy the periodontal ligament, so teeth are still proprioceptive after root canal work.

Teeth also do not become more brittle after root canal treatment. Crowns are necessary in cases where the size of the existing filling, or the amount of natural tooth structure is insufficient to provide strength to the tooth under chewing forces.

A tooth that requires a crown after root canal treatment is generally the same tooth that would have required a crown prior to root canal treatment. There are always exceptions of course.

An example of a tooth that would be unlikely to need a crown after root canal treatment is a tooth that has not experienced any decay or previous filling work (eg. subluxated teeth with no fractures, or teeth undergoing internal resorption).

I’m really confused. I had a root canal done on a front tooth, about 15 years ago. My dentist at the time noticed that it was slightly darker than my other front tooth. He sent me to an endodontist who said I had probably had some trauma to it…though I don’t remember when…and that it had a hairline fracture in it (which I still can’t see). He did a root canal but I have never had a crown put on it. My new dentist says that I need to have a crown put on it, with a post, since it might break. It has not darkened ANY over the years, and no one notices the VERY SLIGHT color differences between the two teeth. My teeth are pretty white overall, with regular whitening treatments. I know I did not get any temporary fillings, etc., done at the time, but I don’t remember whether or not a crown was indicated at the time. I was reading something a few days ago that stated that putting crowns on for ALL root canals is an old fashioned way of doing things, especially with posts, since teeth may not always need a crown. I have insurance that will cover the majority of it, so $ is not an issue. However, I don’t want to put a crown on if it is not necessary since I have not had any problems with it. However, I also don’t want to be sorry if I break it off later. What are your thoughts? I have an appointment made to get this done, but I don’t want to go through with it if I don’t have to. Also, I have been reading about all kinds of problems with crowns…don’t want that either. Thanks for your input! becki

I had a root canal 8 years ago (on a molar towards the back of my mouth). I had not had any work previously on the tooth and the whole experience was traumatic – after having to wait a week for an “emergency” appointment, it later transpired an abcess had formed; the dentist failed to notice and told me to make a booking for a filling to be done. I had to wait over 2 weeks, by which stage I was hardly able to function – when finally I went in for the filling the dentist decided to do a root canal immediately and said it was by far the worse he had seen! Anyway, I have had no problems since until today. I don’t have a lot of the tooth left, however I bit into a cracker and the half of the tooth near my tongue came detached. As it was on a friday evening, I tried to ring every number I could find on the internet to try and get some treatment this weekend. Everything went through to NHS Direct eventually, who told me to try and “wobble it out”, and it’s not seen as an emergency. I was told to speak to an NHS dentist on Monday to see if I could make an appointment (I can’t, there is no NHS dentists within 40 miles accepting patients). I’m now in quite a lot of pain from trying to wobble it out – I have weak gums and they’re bleeding a lot!! I can’t believe from your information that NHS direct are correct in saying that wobbling half of a molar out is the right thing. Whilst the odd filling is affordable privately, I simply can’t afford the cost of having a crown done. I did use a private dentist but they just wanted me to have cosmetic work done on my teeth I couldn’t afford. Oh well, just have to try Monday with my local NHS dentist then!

am I confused? or did he not answer the question here? How long with the different kinds of crowns last? and also how long can you wait after the root canal until you have to get the crown?

Ok I have read everything above and something wasn’t covered what has recently happened to me. I had a root canal done on a tooth a couple years back. Well that tooth then needed a crown because it cracked in half. The crown was put on by a dentist that I didn’t feel was very professional ( I have been to several and I mean several dentist’s around). Almost a couple months down the road I get an abcess around the gums of that same tooth that had both the root canal and crown. I didn’t understand why, because the tooth is dead. According to my doctor I had an infection and they didn’t remove the entire root out. He ordered me to see a new dentist that does oral surgery. I didn’t follow his orders, granite he gave me antibiotics to clear up the infection and it was fine. I was scared to have oral surgery and would rather not spend the money. About 7 months after I have the crown done, I was eating dinner and the entire tooth fell out. I went to see a dentist the same day and said, “Please can you cement this back in?” He told me the dentist should of never put it on a rotted away tooth in the first place and there is nothing he can cement it to that would be sturdy enough. He ended up pulling it out. Later I get a bill when I come back from Iraq and was told I have to pay the balance in full for the crown. I told the receptionist I shouldn’t be liable for paying it since it only lasted 7 months. The dentists states I have to pay it because I never followed his orders and went to the oral surgeon. I told them the infection went away and why should I bother going if it wasn’t bothering me. Now they are telling me I still owe it because I didn’t follow the dentist’s orders to see another dentist about the abcess. I don’t know what to do from here? Please someone help me out and see if I should take the dentist to small claims court? Thank you.

I lost on ,
a tooth and the dentist is giving me 2 options
1. To fix a tooth my putting some screws into the remaining part of the tooth and fixing.
2. To fix the tooth by taking support from the two teeths next to the broken tooth on either side by carving those tooth.
So can you please suggest which type of treatment is better!!!

I have had a root canal in the lower jaw and had a large filling which was successful. It does not feel right when I bite on it and would like a crown. Can I have a crown fitted if only half of the tooth is there?

Why on earth, after reading all of the above posts about the NHS system, would anyone in the USA want national healthcare?
I don’t want to have to wait for days or weeks in extreme pain to have a tooth fixed. We have great doctors in the USA. Why mess up a system that works and is on the cutting edge of medical research and pratice for the entire earth?

In response to Gina’s comment – You mean, why mess up a system that works for YOU, not for a lot of the US population who go without treatment for a long time, because they cannot afford it. And the NHS, despite some comments, is still a success. I have just had a root canal done on the NHS (I wasn’t even registered with a dentist) and the full treatment from diagnosis of my tooth pain to treatment has been 2 days.

Hello
Question? is it true that there should be certain amount of core to support the crown and if so what other option do I have.

Thanks

How much should it cost for treating periodontal disease in the uk? Is £500 too much?

It may be reasonable if several hours treatment or particular medication is involved

i have a tooth with just has a partial section left , it digs into my tongue when i eat and causes serious discomfort for my mouth i work in telesales and is really affectin my speech , i think i have done serius damage to my tongue due to it diggin in , what action do i take who do i see i docter or a dentist ?

i would strongly recommend you see a dentist as soon as possible to rectify this problem

Hi what are post and crowns made of? are they all safe? are there any materials which perform better than others? thanks

Posts and crowns can be made of ceramic, gold or other metal alloys. All are specific to the need. In other words, ceramic or fibercore materials can be used in front teeth along with all ceramic crowns for optimum esthetics

hi pretty much all my teeth are badly decaed .(ballpark) how much to make them like new

The first thing you need to do is to get a thorough examination of your teeth and gums so that your dentist can assess how much decay is present and to what extent it as penetrated the teeth. After this, a detailed treatment plan with associated fees can be given to you.

hi doctor, i have a bad overbite and very big gum . i cant smile and i get teased all the time. i wanted to know how much it cost. i was told i need a 8 month braces but its worse i never closwe my mouth not in the night or day. i get so stressed. it ruined my happiness and i dont even consider myself pretty. and afraid of meeting new people and i think of what they think about me. many of them start loughing at me. i dont know

Its hard to tell you how much things cost without knowing what treatment you will need. As a guide braces cost from around £1500

do you offer any treatment for receeding gums teeth are healthy age 50 thanks

Hi, I am looking at getting lip repositioning surgery as I have a “gummy smile”. I was wondering if you could let me know a rough price for this soI can decide whether to look into it further. Thank you

Hello, I have a really gummy smile and was interedted in finding out more about lip repositioning surgery.

I would like to book a free consultation regarding cosmetic dentistry. thanks

hi, i broke my front tooth 2 days ago. would be appriciated if you could get me an appointment to see one of your dentists asap as it is my front tooth and it is really obvious. thank you a lot.

Hi I have perio that’s quite advanced, bone loss and toothloss-what is thecost to prevent any more damage.

is it necessary to crown the root canal treated tooth ? will a permenant filling do ? my dentist says a crown is must, is it correct ? should i allow to grind my tooth for fixing the cap ?,

A crown is the best long term option, as the tooth does becomes weak once root filled.

I had a crown placed on a tooth about a year ago that I also had a root canal on when I was younger. I recently moved and had to go to a new dentist. When the dentist took my x-rays, she realized that the crown did not fit appropriately causing food to get stuck and having some bone reduction. The crown stuck out on the sides and did not line up with the edges of the tooth, which was clear in the x-ray she showed me. She stated that I will need to get it replaced to avoid having it cause serious damage to my bone in the long run. Is it appropriate to ask for a full or partial refund from my previous dentist? Crowns are very expensive and I’m pretty upset that I have to pay for a second one, simply because it was not formed and does not fit right. Any recommendations on how to go about a situation like this? –

Go back to your dentist and voice your concerns if the crown is as poor as it sounds you should be able to get it replaced for free

I recently broke a tooth due to a top filling comming out.
Root canal work is essential as you must have the live nerve removed or suffer agony later. ( broken tooth upper )

If the base requires a crown and is on the top part of the mouth -then get a normal ceramic crown fitted. You can’t normally tell the difference and the uppers do not receive the work load of the chewing teeth – just be a bit careful when biting hard food.

Its a ‘no brainer’ to leave the tooth without a crown – get it done asap. There is a lot to be said for the NHS even though I have moaned a little from time to time – You would need a bank loan in the States.

Dentists work wonders these days. On the NHS the treatment is free and a blessing.

I was told I needed a mouth guard as I grinded my teeth which I could not afford at the time. Bingo I got pregnant so for 12 months all treatment was free! All of a sudden my sensory tooth which needed treatment out of all of them was then expanded to the whole top left hand side of my mouth. It was recommended that I needed crowns and bridges, why not a couple of grands worth of work compliments of the NHS! I was 28 years old at the time the dentist removed 3 of my teeth and replaced them with posts etc, the molar that was used to attach the bridge to was not properly treated as when he took it out it disintegrated. My dentist’s final words after the work was completed was, if I could have done it my way I would have done it differently however, I have to follow the NHS guidelines! Consequently it all failed bridge and post after 5 years the rest after 10 years. I am a pretty petite blonde with no teeth all in the cause of 1 tooth against greed¡!!!,!