Introduction
If only a root canal treatment can help to preserve a natural tooth and stop the pain, the question arises as to what happens to the reamed tooth afterwards. Sometimes the statics of the tooth are so weakened by the root canal treatment itself or already before it due to extensive caries or a fracture of the hard tooth substance that it is not enough to cover it with a filling. Since the teeth are exposed to heavy loads, further prosthetic treatment in the form of a crown is often necessary to give the tooth the required stability.
It is often unclear what exactly happens during root canal treatment and how the tooth can be saved. Due to carious changes, bacteria have continued to work their way through the tooth. Starting with the enamel, they have now reached the pulp, the supply center of the tooth.
The inflammation triggered there causes great pain, as the inflamed tissue presses on the nerve in the canal and this is passed on to the brain. In a root canal treatment, a hole is drilled into the tooth so that the dentist can hollow out the root canals with special root files. He removes the inflamed tissue, blood vessels and nerve tissue.
The tooth is then considered dead, as it can no longer be supplied with nutrients. Various rinses follow, with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochloride, which has disinfecting and anti-inflammatory effects. This should kill all bacteria so that no new inflammation can occur.
Then a filling material, gutta-percha, is filled into the root canal, which seals it tightly. The natural tooth is no longer alive, but could be preserved, which is an advantage from an aesthetic and functional point of view. A crown is not necessary after every root canal treatment.
However, it is assumed that the risk of a tooth breaking is very high due to the fact that the tooth no longer exists and the continued strain. Since it is no longer supplied, it becomes brittle and loses its strength. In case of high forces, as they occur during chewing, it can break and would have to be replaced.
Teeth that are no longer supplied with nerve fibres are subjected to greater stress during the chewing process, i.e. teeth that are still alive and contain nerves, so the risk of fracture is increased. Furthermore, avital teeth are more susceptible to bacteria than vital teeth. To prevent the porous tooth from breaking, a crown can be made.
It is also possible that the crown of the tooth is damaged by caries or an accident and no longer meets the functional and/or aesthetic requirements, so a crown is also necessary. However, the crowning is not done directly, but only after a certain time after the treatment. Usually after 6 months. The timing and necessity of the crowning are at the discretion of the dentist. The new crown then increases the stability of the tooth.
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