When is a Post Crown Needed over a Traditional Crown?

A post is typically needed in a tooth that has had an extensive amount of tooth structure affected.  A post can only be placed on teeth that have had previous root canal treatment.  Posts have been placed in teeth for  years , but I have shifted away from placing them in recent years in favor of implants.  Posts have been shown to put the tooth at risk of root fracture, especially it teeth that take a significant amount of force when chewing.  I feel the success rate goes up when dental implants are placed in a tooth that would require a post and core to save it.  If my tooth needed a post to save it, I would opt for the implant.  Hope this helps.    

A traditional crown covers and supports the remaining tooth structure after decay, old filling material and unsupported structure has been removed. 

A post/core and crown is used when a tooth has had root canal therapy.  In this instance, the tooth has been hollowed out and the post and core is needed to build up and provide a supportive base for the crown.

Whether a root canal is necessary for a relatively healthy tooth is dependent on how much natural structure of the tooth remains and how close the prepared surface is to the nerve chamber.  The patient's symptoms, if any, and the best judgment of the treating dentist will help guide this determination.

A post can be placed into the root of a tooth to provide support for a root canal treated tooth. The post is only needed when the amount of remaining healthy tooth is unable to support the filling material (called a core build up) that is placed to prepare the tooth for the crown. Not every root canal treated tooth will require a post where enough tooth is left after the root canal to support the core build up.

A traditional crown is used to treat a tooth that does not require a root canal, after the build up the tooth is prepared for the crown. Teeth that are treated by this method are not as compromised as teeth that require root canal treatment or posts.