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What happens if you don't crown a root canal?

I am a 46 year old female. I want to know what happens if you don't crown a root canal?

6 Answers

Most likely, the tooth will become infected again or the tooth will fracture. The crown seals the tooth and protects it from breaking.

David M. Garazi, DMD
IF you don't crown a tooth that has a root canal, it may cause the tooth to fracture and may need extraction. When a root canal is done, technically the tooth is dead and becomes more hollow and more prone to fractures.
This is a very common question asked by many patients. Teeth that have had root canal treatment (RCT) are often times structurally compromised (weakened) due to lost tooth structure from decay, fractures or by the RCT itself. In these cases, placing a simple filling may not be strong or protective enough to stabilize the remaining tooth and in these cases, a crown is the best solution. If, however, the RCT access to nerve chamber is small and there is adequate tooth structure remaining, then a conservative direct bonded composite resin filling could suffice.
If the tooth is a posterior tooth (i.e., a molar or premolar), it can fracture due to the opposing arch occlusal forces. This is for 2 reasons: 1) the tooth is much less flexible/more brittle now that it doesn't have nutrients getting to it internally; 2) due to the access of the canals, though the pulp chamber the tooth doesn't have the same amount of uniform hardness structure and thus, a filling in the middle of the tooth can act like a fulcrum and cause the tooth to fracture. If you've had a root canal treatment (RCT) on a posterior tooth, I definitely recommend a full coverage restoration (crown) shortly after the completion of the RCT.

Hope this helps,

Dr. Bronk
Great Question, once a tooth has been compromised by removing any of the natural tooth structure the tooth becomes weak as the inside of the tooth is hollowed out for the root canal. In order to keep your tooth yes, a crown would be necessary to retain the tooth and keep your tooth structure sound. If tooth is not crowned you risk the possibility of the tooth breaking down , fracturing, or tooth breaking off at the gumline , then you have wasted your money because now the tooth is non restorable, you will then need extraction, bone graft and another form of treatment to replace missing tooth. It can become more costly when you do not crown tooth after root canal.
The great majority of back teeth that have been treated with root canal therapy need to be covered with a crown. Teeth that have been treated with root canal therapy tend to become brittle over time and they can break when you eat hard Foods. A crown helps to hold the teeth together and prevent them from fracturing. The exception to this, is if the endodontist has managed 2 create a very small access hole into the root canal system thereby preserving as much of your tooth structure as possible. This will results in a tooth that is not as weakened and may be able to withstand the forces of chewing over time