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Initially, my primary dentist referred me to root canal specialist (not mentioning crown then), after root canal, I came back to primary dentist for permanent filling. Now primary dentist recommends me to have crown.
Is it really important to have crown? Is it easy to clean tooth with crown on? Step after step, I think everything is expensive in US, with insurance (paying 50%), I had already spent $600-$700 out of pocket at this point, probably another few hundreds dollar out of pocket for crown. But it needs insurance company's approval first. I feel sorry about insurance company too, which will pay more than twice of my premium this year.
Moreover, I still need to take time off from my work for each appointment, it is not just about money. Can I wait a few months for crown after root canal? Next available weekend available is always a few months away.
Is it really necessary to have crown? If yes, I can do it and take care of this tooth. Hopefully, no much big spending in next few years.
"I feel sorry about insurance company too, which will pay more than twice of my premium this year." That's a first...never heard of anyone feeling bad that an insurance company has to pay what they were hired to do.
My one root canal was capped with a crown.
"I feel sorry about insurance company too, which will pay more than twice of my premium this year." That's a first...never heard of anyone feeling bad that an insurance company has to pay what they were hired to do.
My one root canal was capped with a crown.
How does it feel with crown on? Does it feel normal? Is it easy to clean tooth with crown?
How does it feel with crown on? Does it feel normal? Is it easy to clean tooth with crown?
Can't advise whether a crown is always necessary after a root canal. Never had one. IIRC this question was answered in one of your other threads related to this topic. Maybe go back and re-read them?
I have 3 crowns. I'm a lifelong tooth grinder and have even cracked a couple. As for a crown feeling "normal", assuming the crown fits correctly, they feel like the natural teeth they cover. As for ease of care, you care for them just like a natural tooth; brush them and floss around/between them. I have heard of people losing a crown to overly aggressive flossing however. So far hasn't happened to me and my crowns are all 10+ years old.
Last edited by Parnassia; 03-27-2024 at 04:59 PM..
I got my first two root canals sometime in the early 2000's. Since then, I've had maybe 8 more root canals, plus one tooth extraction with a titanium implant. All of these involved getting crowns on the teeth affected.
Dental care wise, crowns are like normal teeth. Brush them at least twice a day. Carefully floss, or better yet use a water flosser. I've been told by several dental hygienists that a water flosser does a better job of removing food particles from the base of the crown than dental floss does.
Crowns can detach from your tooth stub. Aggressive flossing can cause this to happen. I've given up chewing gum and hard candies, as these can cause the crowns to come off. Each time I dislodged a crown, I was able to bring it back to the dentist who glued it back in place for me. My father, a more intrepid person, used to glue his dental work back in place with Crazy Glue - which I do not recommend.
Yes, you do need a crown after a root canal. The tooth needs durable protection and the crown provides that.
The cheaper alternative to a root canal and a crown is a tooth extraction.
I have a tooth that I had a root canal done on. Not the front tooth on the one side, but the one next to it. The dentist at first said that he could just fill the tooth, but later when it was time to fill it, he said the tooth might turn black over time. I did not want the crown even though the insurance would have paid most of it. So, I got the filling in the early 1990s, and the tooth has not turned black, or discolored anymore than any other tooth.
I did get a tooth on the bottom crowned over a root canal. I don't like it at all, and regret getting it. It is a tight fit, and in the wrong weather it isn't comfortable at all, as it can throb due to the tight fit.
Same dentist turned a tooth next to the first root canal I had, and there wasn't really enough room, so same issue.
This dentistry was all done prior to this century, so things might be better, but if the fit isn't tight, like with my husband, he is fine with his.
I did a quick Google, and if you'll do that, there are a lot of opinions by actual dental offices, and explanations of when a tooth really requires a crown and when a filling might be appropriate. Educate yourself to avoid regret.
Crowns are made to feel like real teeth once they're seated over the stub. The dentist might seat it with temporary cement, with a follow-up appointment within a month or two, to ensure it's fitting properly, your bite is correct, and it the appearance - coloring, etc - matches the rest of your mouth. If it's all good they'll pull it off, re-treat the stub, and re-seat the crown with permanent cement.
Permanent cement should last a minimum of 10 years, and can last a lifetime. Some people have crowns for other reasons - like a chipped tooth, or a cavity that, when fixed, would result in an improper bite or poor appearance, or that tooth needs to be ground down to fit a crown attached to a permanent bridge. So they crown those, and if later on in life the patient needs a root canal treatment in the tooth, it can be done right through the crown.
I had one root canal back in 1978. About a year later the tooth started to turn brown. I then decided to have it capped. It was an upper front tooth. The crown is still going strong in 2024. In the past 20 years I have had 7 back teeth capped that take more abuse and they have also held up well.
The teeth capped in the past 10 years were done with the new practice of having the cap made in the office with the new 3D machines on site. Instead of having a temporary cap and waiting 3 weeks for a cap made off site - it is done right in the office if your dentist has the equipment. The entire process takes about 3 hours. The cost was about $1500 per tooth. I much prefer this new method - but, not all dentists have invested in buying this newer technology. So, you need to ask if your dentist has the newer technology.
Front teeth might not need a crown, but any tooth that grinds will probably need one. If you wait too long to get it you could crack the weakened tooth and loose it entirely, unless you wear temporary crowns. But those aren't free either, and you could need more than one to last several months.
The dentist should have told you before the root canal whether you will likely need a crown or not. If they never mentioned that (which I would find hard to believe, but possible) then you have a legitimate gripe. But that won't change whether you need it or not
I waited too long to get a crown once, the tooth fractured and cost $770 to remove.
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