I have a tooth that has a crown that hits another crown on the bottom teeth. The tooth has a 10 year old root canal which looks good. There is sensitivity in the gums above the tooth to cold and seems to be a slight infection there. I'm wondering if antibiotic treatment would clear this up along with fixing the bite. I would rather not have the tooth retreated with another root canal since the first one seems in tact.
Answers (3)
From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals
No, dental assistant cannot place your permanent crown because it is not safe and legal. Assistant will only help the dentist while doing the procedure but he or she doesn't allowed to perform the whole treatment in the absence of dentist.
I agree with Dr Sprague. The darkening of an endodontically treated tooth must be masked before cementing a crown. That can mean an opaque crown that doesnt have translucency or an opaque layer applied to the tooth before cementing the crown.
Unfortunately, the only real option is a new crown, but the shade underneath of the remaining tooth ("stump") shade and choice of material is most important to mask the darkness and be able to match the adjacent teeth.
