More often than not, most patients think about the removal of the dental nerve when “dental crown” is told about. In practice, however, this is not always the case. There are at least five cases in which a crown is placed on tooth with the nerve. These cases include:
- 1) Improved aesthetics. In cases where the patient wants to change the color or shape of a living tooth, in addition to veneers (which are quite fragile), the doctor may suggest placing zirconia or ceramic crowns as an alternative.
- 2) Particularly sensitive teeth. In this case, the crown will act as an additional protective barrier that eliminates the problem.
- 3) Slight destruction of the tooth. In some cases, the tooth may often break or prick, but there will be no need for nerve removal. In this case, a crown is placed to correct the situation
- Dental bridge installation
- Increased tooth fragility. In this case, the crown is a game ahead of the problem.
Why does a crown help in the above cases and what is it?
A dental crown is essentially a prosthesis for a tooth, which is shaped like a cap. The shape of the cap is individual for each patient. It is glued to the prepared tooth and thus forms an additional protective barrier against external influences on the tooth or its remains.
It is important to note that placing a crown does not relieve you of the need to carefully care for your oral hygiene. Although bacteria can no longer cling to the crown itself and multiply on it, but there is a risk of bacteria and cavities (which leads to tooth decay) growing under the crown. In this case, the crown will have to be removed, the tooth treated and a new crown put in, or in severe cases, the tooth will have to be extracted, an implant placed, and only then the new crown.
But let’s go back to placing a crown on a living tooth. The steps of this procedure are the same as a crown on a tooth without a nerve, namely:
- Initial medical examination
- Dental cleaning and treatment (optional)
- Tooth preparation
- Crown production
- Fitting and placement of the dental prosthesis
Is it worth it to put a dental crown over a tooth without a root canal treatment?
As we can see above, there are quite a few situations where it is worth doing, because it helps the tooth to continue to perform its function for a long time. However, only a professional can make the decision about the installation, so you should always start by making an appointment for an examination and consultation.
