“Crown for a canine (eye) tooth?”
I’ve always been very careful with my teeth but one night as I was reading my iPad slipped from my hands and hit my eye tooth. The nerve ended up dying and I had a root canal. I was told by both a dentist and an endodontist that I do not need a crown but I’m concerned as I’ve always heard teeth need crowns following a root canal. I have a bruxism habit which I use an occlusal splint. If I take care of it could it last the remainder of my life without a crown?
45 years old
4 Answers
You are correct that the majority of teeth that have had a root canal need a crown. This mostly applies to teeth in the back of your mouth or teeth in the front that had large decay and are already compromised. If your tooth died simply because of the trauma, then it likely does not need a crown. Continue to wear your occlusal splint and go to your regular dental appointments for monitoring. People can go many years with their tooth stable like that.
If the access opening to do your root canal is small, a crown may be optional.
Short answer is yes. Anterior teeth do not get the forces that back teeth receive. So on a back tooth with multiple cusps, if a root canal is performed, it is recommended to have a cuspal coverage restoration. For front teeth, you are usually safe not to do the crown if there are not other large fillings in the tooth that would weaken its structure. I would recommend a night guard to protect the tooth from any nighttime unconscious clenching or grinding habits (often time people are unaware that they have this habit).
The standard of care is to get a crown. Root canal teeth are more prone to fracture. A crown and possibly a new splint would give the tooth the greatest chance of long-term survival.
Drew Shulman, DMD, MAGD
Drew Shulman, DMD, MAGD
