How to Prevent Decay On a Tooth That Has Already Had a Root Canal
By Paul Krech | Published on November 17, 2010 | 0 Comments
Just because a dentist performs a root canal does not mean the affected tooth will always be protected from further damage. According to Centerpointe Dental‘s Dr. Paul Krech, a general dentist in Lakeville, MN, patients need to take care of all of their teeth in the same way—whether they have undergone a root canal on a particular tooth or not.
Going backwards a bit, Dr. Krech explains what exactly a root canal is. He says that root canals become necessary when the nerve in a person’s tooth becomes non-vital or it dies. This generally happens either because the tooth has been traumatized – such as, if the patient was in an accident involving blunt force, and the blood flow to the tooth was disrupted – or because the patient had a large cavity that was not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Over the process of time, these cavities will continue to grow and get bigger, until they get too close to the nerve. When this happens, the nerve will sometimes give out and die.
When cavities get too large, placing a filling can become problematic. In times like these, a root canal is oftentimes thought of as the next best option. When a dentist decides that a root canal is necessary, he will go inside the pulp chamber and clean out the area. The area will then be filled with a medicated dressing, allowing it to eventually function very similarly to a natural tooth.
Once a person undergoes root canal therapy, however, the process is not completely done. A dentist will still need to put a filling or crown on top of the tooth.
Unfortunately, fillings are not perfect and they cannot stand up to all chewing forces. Teeth that have had root canals done on them can become brittle – mainly because of the lack of blood supply – which is one of the reasons why a professional restoration is oftentimes needed.
Although both fillings and crowns can fail, a crown is typically seen as the much stronger of the two options. Therefore, a dentist is more likely to put a crown on a back tooth, since patients will most likely be doing heavier chewing with their molars than their front teeth.
Having a restoration done by a skilled and experienced dentist is very important, says Dr. Krech, because by this point, the patient has already put a lot of money and effort into the root canal procedure, and to have the tooth break could mean that the whole process was all for nothing. Whether the restoration is done with a filling or a crown is not as important as simply making sure that the restoration gets done at all.
Once the root canal and restoration have both been completed, Dr. Krech says that patients will need to take care of their teeth with meticulous oral hygiene. This, according to Dr. Krech, is the key to maintaining a healthy, white smile and preventing further decay.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.