First to makes sure we are on the same page, we should explain what a root canal is and why it is done. When the root canal of a tooth becomes infected, it can lead to serious dental problems, including bone and tooth loss. In order to treat deep infections within a tooth, root canal therapy may be required. This treatment can save a tooth from extraction, but it can’t preserve tissue that has already been lost to decay.
- Similar to a cavity filling procedure, tissue is removed from the tooth. This requires the removal of any diseased tissue within and around the cavity. Once a cavity has reached the roots of a tooth, it has usually compromised a relatively large portion of the tooth.
- Once the dentist has access to the tooth’s roots, the infected dental pulp is removed and the roots are treated with antibiotics.
After root canal treatment, a tooth may be significantly reduced in structure. More importantly, the most integral tissues for the health of the tooth have been removed. Crowning the tooth is therefore often necessary to restore and protect it as much as possible.
Why you ask? Fillings, inlays, and onlays are all great ways of replacing lost tooth tissue. However, they can only fill gaps in a tooth that is otherwise healthy and relatively strong. Root canal therapy tends to weaken a tooth to the point where it shouldn’t be just filled, but also protected on the exterior. More importantly, the dental pulp has been removed, which is responsible for generating new, healthy tissues within a tooth. Dental crowns are needed for the best, long-term, stable solution to save the tooth:
- Structural support: Crowns simultaneously fill lost tissue while serving as the tooth’s outer layer. In this way, crowns restore strength to a tooth that would be too weak to function on its own.
- Protection: By capping the natural crown of a tooth, dental crowns protect a tooth from injury, stress, and abrasion.
- Preservation: Without a crown, the alternative for many teeth would be extraction and then have to replace it with something else. A crown allows patients to preserve a natural tooth, rather than replace it with a dental implant or bridge.
- Longevity: By using porcelain, dental crowns can easily last 15 years or longer without wear or damage.
Looks Like Natural Tooth: Porcelain is the most effective dental material for mimicking the shape and color of natural teeth. And because it’s stain resistant, your porcelain crown will continue to shine for years.