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Root Canal Crown
A root canal is a dental surgery that can vastly improve a
patient’s outlook. That’s because it
saves the tooth from being lost, even though it dies in the process. If left untreated the tooth would die
anyway, so the only thing a root canal treatment does is prevent the need for
dentures or implants.
Unfortunately, a root canal surgery leaves the inside of
your tooth empty. The resulting cavity
must be packed with an inert filler to cap off the tooth from the gums and the
outside. This filler is never as strong
as the original dentin and enamel. Many
root canal patients need a root canal crown in order to add structural stability
and strength while chewing.
With a dental crown, you receive a false tooth to cover the
exposed portion of your tooth. It is
very strong and durable, and acts as a protective seal over the filled
tooth. Depending on your situation, a
crown may be required in conjunction with a stabilizing post.
A post is just a rod anchored into the tooth root. They’re necessary for teeth that have lost a
lot of internal volume. A post can help
add strength where the crown will be weakest: the spot where the teeth contact
each other for chewing. To place the
post a dentist will usually drill a hole in the filling material within the
tooth, and then cement the rod into place.
The tooth is built up again with more filler and then eventually capped
with the crown.
The crown is like a cup that is placed upside down over your
tooth. It lies strictly above the gum line. Many of the older crowns were made of metals
like gold, but more recent developments in porcelain and other life-like
materials have made it possible to have crowns that look like the real thing.
The crown achieves the twofold purpose of replicate the look
and feel of a real tooth, along with sealing the tooth off from further
infection. To make a crown, the dentist
first shaves down your target tooth to have a tapered shape that will accept an
overlay. An impression is then taken of
the tooth and a crown is cast with that exact fit. A tooth-like shape is then molded around the impression so that
once it pops on top of your tooth and cemented in place, it will look exactly
like neighboring teeth.
Root canals are a great way to save infected teeth from
falling out. However, they usually
leave the tooth structurally unstable due to the cavity it leaves behind
inside. Though filler material can cap
off a tooth from infection, a crown with rod can add the stability and strength
that real teeth have, while preserving your look so you can smile all day
without worry.
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