Following a root canal treatment, a dentist usually fills the tooth with a temporary filling and protects it with a temporary crown. Shortly after, the patient typically returns to the dental office for additional treatment. In most cases, the dentist removes the temporary crown and filling and replaces them with permanent versions. This gives normal function to the tooth. It is worth noting, however, that the tooth beneath the crown is deprived of its blood supply and eventually becomes very brittle.
An individual would normally have to be very gentle with a tooth after a root canal. This is because the tooth loses its blood supply and becomes much more fragile than it was before. If an individual bites down on something hard with this tooth, there is a chance that it may break. To avoid this, dentists usually take steps to restore the tooth. This can involve the use of a filling or dental post, which is a type of metal rod, as well as a crown to protect the fragile tooth and make it more functional.
Often, dentists use temporary restoration materials on a tooth right after a root canal treatment. The dentist may temporarily fill the tooth and place a temporary crown on it to keep it protected until the patient’s next appointment, for example. Essentially, these steps serve to keep bacteria and debris out of the tooth, and they also help prevent it from breaking until the patient receives follow-up treatment.
In most cases, some restoration is performed on the tooth after a root canal. A dentist may place a permanent filling in the tooth in order to keep bacteria and debris out of it. In some cases, he or she may also choose to cement a post into the tooth to increase its height and provides something to which the dentist can adhere the filling material.
It is usually necessary to place a permanent crown on a tooth that has had a root canal. A dental crown covers the part of the tooth that is above the patient’s gum. It is typically made of porcelain to resemble the patient’s teeth, but some are made out of metal, including gold. Crowns may also be constructed from a combination of porcelain and metal. They restore the shape of the tooth, strengthen it, and make the tooth look more like the patient’s other teeth.