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Should a Root Canal Be Done with the Old Crown in Place??
asked 6 months ago by craig in YL in Yorba Linda, CA
Latest answer by Javier Garcia, DDS
Question viewed 244 times
Tags: normal, protocol, replacement, root canal
My wife was recently told she needed a root canal after experiencing some pain under her old crown. The dentist also told her that after the root canal a new crown would be needed to replace the old one. After the root canal was done she went to have the new crown done but was told the existing tooth was to deteriorated for a crown. Is it normal for a root canal to be performed with the old crown in place? Thank you
9 answers to Should a Root Canal Be Done with the Old Crown in Place??
+1
It can, but I would not recommend it...
In most cases when a patient is experiencing pain where there is an "old" crown it is due to the tooth having decay under it. The most common reason is because it is no longer properly sealed & bacteria is filtering in. Other times the crown may be properly sealed & it is just reacting to the trauma caused by the actual preparation, which occasionally happens as well. Every case is different & every dentist treats differently but I...
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Javier Garcia, DDS
Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist
Los Angeles Cosmetic Dentist
+1
Root canal through a crown
A root canal can be done through an existing crown if the crown is in good condition, has closed margins (edges), and there is no decay underneath the old crown. After the root canal treatment is completed, the hole in the crown will be patched up with a filling material.
However, if the crown needs to be replaced, then the crown will be removed, all decay will be cleaned off, and the root canal treatment will be done. If insufficient tooth structure is left to support a...
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Elizabeth Jahanian, DDS
Corona Cosmetic Dentist
Corona Cosmetic Dentist
+1
A root canal can be done with an old crown in place but depends
This is quite common. Many teeth have crowns done due to fractures or cavities but no root canal was needed at the time if the nerve of the tooth was fine. However, sometimes a few years down the tooth may act up needed the root canal to be done after the crown. If the crown is intact and has no filtrations or leakage (cavities around the margin) then you can do a root canal and keep the crown. You just do a filling throught the top where the root canal was done.
However, if the old...
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Mauricio C. Tijerino, DMD
Miami Beach Cosmetic Dentist
Miami Beach Cosmetic Dentist
+1
Root Canal with Old Crown in place
It is non uncommon to perform a root canal treatment with a sound old crown in place by making an access opening through crown and patching it after the root canal is completed. The dentist should examine the tooth carefully with x-rays and eyes to determine if the old crown is adequate.
Mickey Bernstein, DDS
Memphis Cosmetic Dentist
Memphis Cosmetic Dentist
+1
Normal Protocol For A Root Canal
Root canals are needed because of pain or infection/ abcess. There are many reasons why one would need to do a root canal and many times they are done through the exsisting crown. If it is an old crown, chances are you need a new crown because there is decay. Unfortunately, we assume there is room for a new crown but don't always know until the old crown has been redone. If there is a question about how sound the old crown and tooth are, many times we take...
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Wendy S. Spektor, DDS
Bellevue Cosmetic Dentist
Bellevue Cosmetic Dentist
+1
Root canals through crowns
Root canals are commonly done through old crowns if significant decay is not seen on the xray in order to divide treatment into stages for economic or time reasons. However, if significant decay is found to be present, the crown should be removed to eliminate decay first and make sure the tooth is savable. Also so that the decay won't progress too far, if the a new crown is not to be done soon, it would be wise to remove the old crown and all the decay,...
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Scott LeSueur, DDS
Mesa Cosmetic Dentist
Mesa Cosmetic Dentist
+1
Should a Root Canal Be Done with the Old Crown in Place??
Is is very common to have the root canal done through a crown. I am not concerned about that or that being a problem.
It sounds like once the pain stopped, and the old crown was removed that there was more decay under that crown than would have been anticipated from looking at the outside of it. It is rare, but not impossible to have an unexpected surprise like this.
In situations where I am concerned there could be a really deep cavity under the crown I might take off the old...
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+1
Can root canals be done through an old crown
Sorry to hear that your Doing root canal through a crown is not unusual, however the older the crown , the less the chance that the tooth can be restored . The problem is that old crowns were mainly were fully or partially made out of metal. Therefore, the dentist cannot detect the amount of destruction under the crown since x-rays do not penetrate through metal. Some patients cannot afford to pay for root canal and renew the crown and dentists try to buy...
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+1
Old root canals.
Sorry to hear your found out after the RCT that the tooth was too deteriorated. It probably should have been picked up at the time the RCT was done. Best treatment at this point is to remove the root and replace with an implant. Second preference would be a bridge. When the tooth is extracted make sure the socket is "grafted or an immediate implant is placed.
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