Pain

The pain before and after a root canal treatment can be very unpleasant. Before the treatment, however, they are very strong and influence everyday life. After the root canal treatment, pain occurs as a result of the healing process, so it is quite normal and no cause for concern.

Only if they become stronger and do not subside on their own, it is advisable to ask the dentist for advice, as inflammation may have reappeared and the filling must be revised. Even a tooth with a crown that has already been treated can cause pain, although the cause is usually an inflammation in the area of the root tips. In this case, a new root canal treatment (revision) or a root apex resection are possible.

If the root-treated tooth is to be crowned, there is hardly any further pain, since the removal of the supplying vessels and nerves means that the tooth is no longer a living tooth and stimuli can no longer be transmitted. The tooth can be prepared for the insertion of a crown and then fitted with it. Pain may of course reappear if bacteria are again present in the canal or if surrounding tissue, such as gums, is injured during the treatment.

Costs

In addition to the cost of the root canal treatment (200€-800€), if not covered by health insurance, there may be additional costs for a crown. The following types of crowns are available: In the anterior region, the standard restoration is a metal crown, which is then veneered with ceramic on the vestibular side (which is towards the cheek and lips). Ceramic has the advantage that its color is very similar to the natural color of the teeth, and with different coatings, it can be adapted to the individual tooth color of the patient.

However, if you want a complete crown made of ceramic, i.e. without a metal framework, the extra costs must be paid privately. In the posterior tooth area, as soon as it is no longer visible, the standard restoration is a complete crown made of metal, which is not veneered. If a veneer is desired, it must be paid for privately, just like an all-ceramic crown.

In the case of the standard restoration, the health insurance company also pays only a portion and not the complete restoration. If a bonus booklet is kept, the percentage covered by the health insurance company increases by up to 30%. On average, a full metal crown made of non-precious metal on a molar can be expected to cost about 120-130€.

If you want to veneer the crown completely, you can expect costs of about 400€. Therefore it is important to ask the dentist in advance and to discuss all the details in order to avoid unpleasant surprises after a treatment. The crown can either be prepared directly on the tooth, provided that there is still enough tooth substance, or it can be anchored with a pin that is inserted into the root canal.

A metal shell crown (precious metal/non-precious metal),
An all-ceramic crown,
A metal crown veneered with ceramic and
A pin-anchored crown.