3 Reasons Dental Crowns Are Usually Necessary After Root Canals

Finding out you need a root canal might not be the news you were hoping to hear, but there are really no good alternative options. When you find this out, you will also likely discover that you will need a dental crown too. While dental crowns are not always needed after root canals, they usually are, and here are three reasons dentists typically recommend dental crowns after root canal procedures. 

A Root Canal Requires Removing A Lot Of A Tooth

A root canal procedure requires a dentist to access the canals of a tooth, and these are located inside the gums above or below the tooth (depending on if it is a lower or upper tooth). To do this, the dentist will have to remove part of the tooth in order to clean out these canals. The problem with this is that it may require removing a lot of your actual tooth.

When a tooth needs a root canal, typically it is because decay has reached the roots of the tooth. This usually means that the tooth has a large, deep cavity on it. Even if the tooth did not require a root canal, the dentist would still probably have to remove a good portion of the tooth in order to remove the decay.

Teeth Are Weakened When They Are Not Whole

When part of a tooth is removed for this purpose or for any other reason, the tooth will naturally weaken. A tooth is strongest when it is whole and without decay or fillings. A tooth that is weak will be more prone to issues, such as cracking or chipping. If you have a tooth that is missing a good portion of it, you could easily damage the tooth simply by biting on something hard.

Your Chances Of Losing The Tooth Increase Without Proper Protection

Without a crown, the tooth could easily become damaged. The problem with this is that if the tooth becomes damaged, it might be at a point that a dentist will not be able to salvage it. A tooth can only be repaired so many times before it is too weak to be there.

Getting a crown is the best way to protect a weakened tooth and help you save it. When a crown is placed over the tooth, you will still have the tooth along with its roots. The crown simply adds strength to the tooth, and this will allow you to continue using this tooth just like you use all your other teeth.

Dental crowns are the best method for saving teeth that are weak or not complete. If you would like to learn more about crowns, contact a dentist (such as one from Sunshine Dentistry) today.