Dead front tooth, Is a crown an option? Will aligners cause more damage?

Question

Hi, almost 15 years ago I had a root canal done on a front tooth. Now according to the X-ray, there is no infection but the tooth got grey. How big is the chance that it can break with aligner treatment? And is there a way to put a dental crown on 1 tooth? My doctor said it's not possible because this tooth is hollow inside because I had a root canal done. The tooth looks fine from the outside, and there is no decay. Is the only option an implant?? :(

Steven Davidowitz, DDS · Answer

Clear aligners should not cause any issues on a sound tooth whether or not the tooth had a root canal.   Crowning a single tooth is possible, but comes with limitations on symmetrical tooth shade compared to its adjacent teeth.   This is why I typically advise pairing a single front smile tooth porcelain restoration with an adjacent veneer or crown for cosmetic matching.    However, as I mentioned, a single crown is possible in most situations to hide the gray tooth and help match the overall shade and shape to its neighboring smile teeth.

Dead front tooth, Is a crown an option? Will aligners cause more damage?

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