Do You Need a Crown After a Root Canal?
Often, yes, but not always. A back tooth (a molar or premolar) that has had a root canal usually needs a crown, because back teeth take most of the force when you chew. A front tooth that has lost very little of its structure may only need a filling. Which one your tooth needs is something your dentist decides after looking at it.
What a root canal fixes, and what it doesn't
A root canal treats the inside of the tooth. The infected or inflamed pulp is removed, the canals are cleaned, and then they are filled and sealed. That deals with the infection, and usually with the pain that brought you in.
What it doesn’t do is rebuild the outside of the tooth. A tooth that needs a root canal has often been weakened already, by deep decay, a large old filling or a crack, and the treatment itself needs a small opening through the top of the tooth. A tooth like that can break if it is left without proper protection.
A crown (many people call it a cap) covers the whole visible part of the tooth and holds it together.
What decides whether your tooth needs a crown
- Where the tooth is. Back teeth do the heavy chewing and usually need a crown. Front teeth do less chewing, so they don’t always need one.
- How much of the tooth is left. If decay and old fillings have taken a lot of the tooth, a filling alone may not hold up, and a crown protects what is left. Sometimes a small post is placed inside the root first, to help hold the crown or filling in place.
- Cracks and old fillings. A tooth that is already cracked, or that has a large old filling, has less of its own strength left.
- How you bite. If you grind or clench your teeth, a weakened tooth is under more strain.
- What your dentist sees. All of this is judged at the examination, usually with an X-ray.
Between the root canal and the crown
After the root canal, the tooth usually has a temporary filling until the final filling or crown goes on. Until then:
- Try not to chew on that tooth at all. Use the other side.
- Keep brushing and flossing; just go gently around that tooth.
- It may feel tender for a few days.
Call us if:
- the pain is severe, or lasts more than a few days
- you notice swelling, inside or outside your mouth
- the temporary filling or crown comes out
- the pain or symptoms you had before the treatment come back
If swelling spreads towards your eye, or it becomes hard to breathe, speak or swallow, go to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away.
Don't keep putting it off
A tooth that has had a root canal but no final filling or crown is more likely to break. If a crack runs down into the root, the tooth may not be saveable at all. So once the root canal is finished, book the crown as soon as your dentist advises. From then on, the crown is what protects the tooth.
Getting the crown
The tooth is shaped and its shape is recorded so the crown can be made to fit it. Your tooth is protected while the crown is being made, and when it is ready it is fitted and adjusted until your bite feels right. Your dentist will tell you how many visits your crown needs.
There are metal-free, zirconium and ceramic options. Which suits you depends on the tooth and how you’d like it to look, and we’ll go through the choices and the cost before we start. There’s more on our crowns and bridges page.
Who does each part at Kondapur
Our Kondapur team includes Dr. Manish Khazane, an endodontist, whose specialist training is in root canal treatment. Dr. Paramveer Singh Malik, a prosthodontist and implantologist, does crown and bridge work at the same clinic.
Not sure whether your tooth needs a crown? Call us on +91 8919841783 or message us on WhatsApp, or read more about root canal treatment. Directions and timings are on our Kondapur clinic page.
Common questions
How soon after the root canal should the crown go on? As soon as your dentist advises once the root canal is complete. Until then, a back tooth stays at risk of breaking.
Does the tooth still need looking after once the crown is on? Yes. Brush, clean between your teeth and keep up with check-ups. Once in a while a treated tooth gives trouble again, even years later. If that happens, come in early: it can often be treated again.
