Crown without a root canal? How common is this?!


Question:

Crown without a root canal? How common is this?

Sorry to keep asking questions, but I've never had this many problems with my teeth!! I went to the dentist yesterday and was told that I had a crack in one of my top molars. It only hurts when I bite down on food. I have a crown prep appt in July and I was told that a root canal was not needed. I'm getting conflicting answers from friends and family on this. Do you always need a root canal with a cracked tooth? Is it possible to just have a crown put on? Anyone out there have a crown without having had a root canal first? How is it doing now?

Additional Details

1 month ago
Does the pain from the cracked tooth go away right after the temporary crown is put on? Or will it be better after the permanent crown is placed?


Answers:

You've had some good answers here....better than your friends and family! A tooth needing a crown does not always need a root canal and a root canaled tooth does not always need a crown......it depends on the situation.
Addressing the pain situation is a little more tricky. If the crack is not too deep, then a crown will suffice [it will hold the tooth together]. On the other hand, if the crack is deeper than it appears, then, when the temporary is placed, you will still have pain and will need a root canal. Unfortunately, even after all of this trouble and expense, the tooth could still hurt and require extraction. There is NO way of knowing how bad the crack is without extracting the tooth and looking at it under a microscope. In my office, I tell the patient to imagine that the tooth is sitting on the top of a fence......one side is good and one side is bad. It's anyone's guess as to which side the tooth decides it wants to be on and we can only hope for the best. Most of the time the tooth behaves itself and stops hurting after the crown. Good luck!




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