Root Canal Treatments and Dental Crowns

Dental treatments are one of the most important medical treatments and dental hygiene, although very ignored, is one of the most important to keep up with. The world of dentistry has evolved so much in the past decade. Many new technologies, machineries, procedures and treatments have been added to help with various issues and problems faced by patients. Dentistry has evolved to include jaw reconstruction, cosmetic jaw surgeries, and even cranial surgeries caused by trauma to the head. Such is the deep, detailed science that is dentistry.

Dental Fillings Vs Root Canal Treatments

Dental filling is a method where a dentist fills the teeth with a dental cement or paste that has a tooth-identical texture and properties. When you have a small infection in the teeth due to a cavity which is mostly in the beginning stage, a dentist may opt for a dental filling instead of a root canal treatment. In this procedure, the tooth is cleared off of the decayed material and thoroughly cleansed. The important point is that the decay would not have reached the root of the teeth, in which case, a root canal treatment is the best option. If the tooth decay is limited to the surface, the decayed portion is removed and cleaned. The dentist then uses a dental cement or paste based on the requirement to fill the tooth to avoid the gap in the tooth and to keep the tooth safe from further infections.

A dental paste or cement that is used has a tooth-identical property because of which it hardens once applied and behaves like a regular tooth, with full functionality of an actual tooth. It prevents food getting stuck on the tooth, provides chewing ability and makes sure the tooth is not further decayed.

Root Canal Treatments

Root Canal Treatments are the next step in curing a decayed tooth. If the decay in the tooth has reached the pulp or the root of the teeth and has extreme pain causing the patient to cease all normal functionality with the teeth, then a dentist would recommend a root canal treatment instead of a regular dental filling.

In a root canal treatment, the patient is given a local anesthesia to prep for the minor procedure that is carried on in the teeth. The tooth is completely cleaned by the dentist by removing all the infected portions, sometimes forcing the dentist to remove until the very base of the tooth. Once the tooth is thoroughly cleansed, the tooth is then chiselled down to the base of the jaw, so that the tooth is not attacked by germs any further. Also, once the infected portion of the tooth is removed, the tooth becomes very exposed and can not resume its normal functionality like chewing of food.

Once the tooth is scaled down, a temporary dental cement is applied on the tooth to make sure the tooth remains even with some minimum functionality such as chewing of food and avoiding plaque buildup and attack by microbes. The dentist now takes an impression of the jaw with special privilege to the tooth that has been scaled down. The mould is then used to make a crown that sits on top of the scaled down portion of the tooth and gives full functionality as that of the original tooth. Of course there are some precautions that are advised to the patient, but usually a crown does give you most of the functionality of an original tooth.

Dental crowns

The Dental crown preparation based on the mould design may take upto a week or more, based on the material chosen. The fitment of crown after root canal how long the process takes is upto the type of crown chosen by the dentist and patient mutually and the preparation type by the lab. It usually takes upto 10 days and around 2 weeks max. Post fitment, the dentist may ask the patient to visit for review and inspection on the basis of procedure and the crown type chosen. The crown can be made from various kinds of materials such as -

1. Metal Crowns

The popular choice for metal crowns are Gold, palladium, nickel and chromium. These metals are sturdy, last much longer than their counterparts and can withstand the pressure of biting and chewing. They also need very small upkeep and maintenance. The only con of a metal crown is the colour, as it may not be very aesthetic to look at. This is a good option if the crown is going to be in the back of the mouth such as a molar teeth.

2. Porcelain or Ceramic

Porcelain and ceramic are the best options if you are keen on having something that looks like natural teeth. Porcelain and ceramic crowns do not have the same strength as that of metal crowns and may wear down in a few years. They may need upkeep and maintenance every few years based on the usage. But they are aesthetically pleasing and can be used for front teeth.

3. Resin Crowns

Resin crowns are very common for minor issues such as a tooth damage or for a broken tooth. They have lesser strength when compared to Porcelain or ceramic teeth but are very inexpensive.

4. Porcelain fused to Metal crowns

Porcelain fused to metal crowns have a porcelain exterior which looks just like a regular tooth but has a metal lining inside for reinforced strength. They are strong and are aesthetically pleasing as well. They require lesser upkeep when compared to all porcelain and all resin crowns.

A crown is necessary in most cases where the tooth has been chipped or broken or if the dentist decides that the tooth does not have the strength to endure normal day to day activities.