Although endodontic treatment and the placement of dental crowns are completely different services, many patients tend to confuse them and even believe that both lead to the same result, something that is far from reality, so today we will teach you to know each of their differences.
Let’s start by knowing what an endodontic treatment is
A root canal is when the dentist enters the dental nerve and removes it without removing anything else. The tooth no longer has nerves, but it is still functional because it has its periodontal ligament.
This is a very safe treatment and helps you to keep using your natural teeth instead of having your tooth removed to place an implant.
Now let’s detail what a crown is
The purpose of a crown is to chip the tooth around the periphery and replace it with porcelain or metal. It is of utmost importance that the crown covers the entire top of the tooth and protects the rest of the tooth so that it lasts for many years in the patient’s mouth without major problems.
Many times a tooth that does not have a crown fractures because it does not have that protection. To make the definition simpler, let’s compare crowns to a helmet that helps to protect against knocks.
Now that you know the differences between endodontics and crowns, let’s see why people tend to confuse the two.
The main cause of confusion is due to the fact that some root canals require crowns, however, some patients tend to think that this is always the case, when this has its causes and we will see below.
When is it necessary to make a crown after a root canal?
- When the tooth is badly fractured and is missing a large part of its tooth substance, so it will be essential to recover it.
- It will also be necessary to resort to a crown when the tooth is missing its cusps. In this case, it will be important to reconstruct the upper parts of the tooth with a crown, since the resins will not achieve the strength that a natural cusp achieves and will end up fracturing.
As you will see, although they tend to be confused, the differences between a root canal and a crown are clear, however, there are many cases in which in a root canal there are dental fractures, so it is seen as necessary to put crowns to repair the tooth and leave it as strong and healthy as it once was.
Although today you learned several points about these two treatments, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us so that our dentists can evaluate whether you will need both treatments or just one. You should also consider that as a patient, you may not be able to diagnose by yourself the type of service you require, so in case you require another type of treatment we will let you know so you do not compromise your health with practices that you do not require or will be in excess in your teeth.
Have your endodontics or crowns done at Somos Dental
If you are looking for a safe place to receive your dental treatment in the Phoenix metro area, you can come to Somos Dental.
You can call us or fill out our online form for a free initial diagnostic appointment, or you can find us at any of our six locations in Downtown Phoenix, Mesa, Camelback, Desert Sky Mall, Laveen, and Avondale.
