Your dentist probably advised getting a crown if you recently had a root canal. However, what would happen if you neglect or postpone this important step? Although the root canal itself eliminates infection, there may be major repercussions if your tooth is left exposed.
The tooth goes through the following things during and after a root canal:
Dehydration and Pulp Loss: The pulp houses the tooth's nerves and blood supply. Since the tooth is no longer internally nourished after extraction, it becomes more brittle and eventually more likely to break. In effect, it gets "dehydrated."
Structural Compromise: In order to reach and clean the interior canals, a substantial amount of tooth structure must be removed during the root canal surgery. This weakens the remaining tooth, particularly if there were previous fillings or if the access cavity was large.
Chewing Forces: Teeth are subjected to extreme chewing pressures on a regular basis, particularly molars and premolars. Without external support, a tooth that has had a root canal is just not strong enough to endure these stresses.
Sealing Against Re-infection: A crown keeps germs out of the treated canals and stops them from starting an infection again by completely enclosing the tooth.
In the absence of a crown, the treated tooth is susceptible to chips, breakage, and even severe fractures that may spread below the gum line.
A root canal-treated tooth without a crown has a predictable but worrisome survival timeline. The tooth may not break in the short term (1 to 6 months), but because of its compromised structure, it is at a frighteningly high risk of doing so. As time passes to the medium term (6 months - 2 years), slow degradation becomes practically unavoidable, with fractures appearing and the possibility of reinfection expanding dramatically. Although a tiny proportion of teeth may last more than 2 years without crown protection, these are rare rather than common occurrences, and even these "survivors" are virtually likely to collapse eventually.
Even though it's dangerous, the following factors may affect how long a tooth with a root canal may last without a crown before unavoidable issues occur:
Tooth Location: Compared to rear teeth (molars and premolars), front teeth (incisors and canines) usually withstand less biting power. Although a crown is still frequently advised for protection and appearance, a root-canaled front tooth may last longer without one than a molar.
Amount of Remaining Tooth Structure: Without a crown, a tooth that has very little natural tooth structure left after a root canal and prior decay or fillings is weaker and is more likely to break.
Biting habits: The forces applied to the weak tooth will hasten its demise if you have a very strong bite or clench or grind your teeth (bruxism).
A tooth that has undergone root canal cannot survive without a crown for too long. So, neglecting or postponing a crown effectively condemns the tooth to a countdown toward disintegration, with the only variables being the severity and timing of issues.
If you have further queries regarding your dental health, consult our experts at Riverside Family Dental. Call us at (586) 468-0983 to schedule an appointment.
