Root canal re-treatment via drilling a full ceramic crown with casted post and core? (Photo)

Question

On my first molar, the endodontist wants to drill through the ceramic crown (placed in 2011) to do re treatment of root canal (initially done in 2008) cause there is painful abscess there and to investigate if a forth (untreated) root is there. Is drilling through casted post and core feasible? Will this drilling make the crown weaker at the end? Is it better to try to remove the crown as a whole? Is it a good strategy to go on antibiotics and simply wait and see?

Vicki Borowski, DDS · Answer

This is a challenging situation. Your crown will be weaker, if it can be saved at all. Removing the post is also going to be difficult. You may find A better long term solution is to extract the tooth and place an implant.

David M. Schertzer, DDS · Answer

Drilling through a porcelain crown will make the crown weaker and more prone to fracture.  However, short of removing the crown this is typically performed.  They will have to create an access opening wide enough to remove/replace the entire cast post/core.  Removing the crown would make it easier for the restoring dentist to create and cement a new post/core but it would ruin the existing crown and require a new one which would be more expense but better long term.

Root canal re-treatment via drilling a full ceramic crown with casted post and core? (Photo)

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