Root canal through the crown or new crown?

Both routes are a viable option, but context is needed. Whether you have the root canal performed by your General Dentist or be referred to have it be done by an Endodontist is all a matter of how comfortable and skilled your General Dentist is with performing the root canal himself/herself. Once the root canal has been done, ideally, placing a brand new crown would be better because you will have a fixed prosthetic on your tooth that is one piece and does not have a repaired hole that may potentially leak or fail down the road. Having said that, if finances are a concern, a well repaired crown after it has been drilled through for root canal therapy purposes may also provide years of sound performance without any problems but the risk of leakage or failure is inherently higher in repaired crown for failure with time. If you have the financial means to do so, get a brand new crown placed after the root canal has been performed. Good luck!

Hi, I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with your tooth. Typically if the crown has a good seal, the root canal is done thru a small access opening on the top portion of the tooth. Once completed the area of the access is then sealed off. Hope you feel better fast! All the best.

If the crown was cemented permanently and looks fine, you can do a root canal through the crown without replacing the crown. You could have the crown removed, have the root canal done, then have a new crown made. But if the current crown is fine, there's no need to cut it off and replace it.

Hi: In most cases where there is an existing crown, the root canal is done through the crown with no problem.  Best,Dr. Maddahi