How a Root Canal and Crown Work Together To Save Your Natural Tooth [Video FAQ]

Root canal treatment has a bad reputation. But did you know the  procedure actually relieves pain more than it causes it? Root canals remove damaged and infected tissues that cause severe and lasting toothaches while also saving your tooth from extraction. Then, to keep your smile healthy and functional, we place a crown on top of the damaged tooth. A dental crown helps fortify your tooth’s structure and keep it protected from further infection or decay. And at East Longmeadow Family Dental Center, we offer both root canal and crown treatment, preserving your natural teeth for as long as possible.

Do You Really Need a Root Canal?

At East Longmeadow Family Dental Center, we understand that you may be apprehensive about root canals. Root canals are notorious for being painful. However, most of that reputation dates back to a time before modern medicine, science, and tools!

Nowadays, we use gentle techniques and effective local sedation to keep you numb and comfortable throughout the procedure. For most patients, a root canal is no big deal. Not to mention, root canals provide much-needed pain relief for patients.

After the procedure, you may find that you feel 50% to 75% better than you did before it. And by the next night, most patients are relieved to have had the treatment done!

To learn if you need root canal treatment, we recommend booking a free consultation with us in East Longmeadow. There, we will inspect your smile, determine your needs, and create a custom treatment plan for you. In many cases, we can provide effective, immediate pain relief in an emergency.

Why Does a Root Canal Need a Dental Crown?

To remove the infected tissues from your tooth, we create an opening in your enamel. But after your procedure, the opening makes your tooth more vulnerable to infection, damage, and decay. Fortunately, a dental crown helps fortify your tooth’s structure.

Dental crowns are tooth-shaped caps that go over an entire tooth. By encompassing the tooth’s structure, we seal it off from bacteria on all sides. Additionally, our crowns are high-quality porcelain, which helps your tooth chew through food without issue. With a dental crown covering your root-canaled tooth, you can chew and smile normally.

How Long Do Root Canal and Crown Treatments Last?

Some patients hesitate to undergo root canal therapy or dental crown treatment because they believe them to be temporary fixes. After all, why treat a tooth that may need to be extracted later anyway? However, what patients may not understand is the importance of having natural teeth!

It’s true, root canal treatment may not last forever. While a tooth that’s been root-canaled can last a lifetime with proper care, it may eventually need to come out after several years. But those several years that you do have a natural tooth are integral to oral health. By delaying a tooth extraction, even by just a few years, you help:

• Prevent shifting teeth: After losing a tooth, the remaining teeth in your mouth will shift towards the gap. This causes misalignments that make chewing and cleaning your teeth more difficult.
• Keep your smile functional: Missing teeth generally make chewing more difficult. By delaying a tooth extraction, even just a few years, you can keep your smile functional for longer.
• Prevent jawbone loss: After tooth loss, you will gradually lose bone structure in your jaw. Root canals help keep your natural tooth in place, stimulating your jaw and keeping it healthy.
• Save yourself money: Missing teeth need to be replaced. If you get a tooth extracted, we will recommend replacing it as soon as possible. But tooth replacement treatments like dental implants are more expensive than root canal treatment, increasing your price tag.

Of course, there are circumstances where extracting a tooth is necessary. But in most cases, keeping your natural tooth is ideal!

By performing a root canal on a damaged tooth and covering it with a dental crown, we prolong the life of your natural smile. And, with proper oral hygiene, your root canal may even last a lifetime!

Save Your Tooth From Extraction in East Longmeadow, MA

Root canal treatment helps save your tooth from extraction. Then, we place a dental crown on top to protect the tooth and keep your smile functional. Together, a root canal and crown can keep your natural tooth healthy and functional for years to come. To learn if you need root canal and crown treatment, book a free consultation with us in East Longmeadow, MA.

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