Do I need a crown on a chipped tooth that has just had a root canal?

Question

In 2002 I chipped my front left tooth 60% off from trying to open a bottle with my teeth. I had bonding which is great, but the nerve finally died. I had a root canal yesterday. My dentist is wanting me to get a crown in a few days. My bond is still on fairly well. My dentist said that due to the root canal and the chip, my tooth might discolor and a crown would be the best way to go. Is a crown necessary or can I just have the canal filled and wait to see what the tooth does?

Timothy C. Chang, DDS · Answer

Typically, when a tooth has been root canal treated and more than 50% of the tooth structure has been removed due to a chip or cavities, it is recommended that the tooth have a crown made for it.  A big reason for this is that once a tooth receives root canal treatment, the tooth becomes more brittle, because the blood supply inside the tooth has been removed, and therefore can be more susceptible to future cracks or chipping, especially since not a lot of tooth structure remains.Not having x-rays or being able to visually examine your teeth, it's hard to make a definitive statement concerning your case.  But based on what you described, a crown for that tooth would likely be your best option.  However, that's definitely not your only option.You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, and leaving the bonded filling there instead of having a crown placed is acceptable treatment.  It just might not be ideal treatment, and you should be aware that by doing so, you may be taking a risk for that tooth chipping or cracking even more in the future.

Norman Huefner, DDS · Answer

A properly done root canal should not cause the tooth to discolor appreciatively.If the root canal was done from the back side of your tooth (as most front teeth are), then a filling after the root canal may work fine for you.You could wait for the bonding to "finally" break off to make the decision on whether to rebond the tooth or do a crown.

Do I need a crown on a chipped tooth that has just had a root canal?

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Do I need a crown on a chipped tooth that has just had a root canal?

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Everything you need to know about Dental Crown

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