I recently switched dentists because my former dentist retired. After an exam and cleaning, I talked to the dentist about teeth whitening. She said that she is concerned about a molar root canal tooth before she would do the whitening. The root canal tooth has a loose filling. The dentist wants to do a crown with posts instead of another filling. She says that I must complete it before I get teeth whitening. Is this necessary, or can I get another filling? Since this is a new dentist, I am not sure if I trust her recommendation. Thank you. Lance from Reno
Lance,
We understand your concern, especially because you are a new patient for this dentist.
Does a Root Canal Tooth Need a Crown?
Not every root canal tooth needs a crown. But that is particularly true of front teeth because crown preparation can weaken the tooth against lateral stress.
Molar teeth
Without a crown, a molar root canal tooth is susceptible to breaking for several reasons:
- Root canal treatment can weaken and tooth and make it brittle
- Molar teeth receive a lot of chewing pressure because they are the farthest back in your mouth
- Cusps on molar teeth are likely to separate with the stress of chewing. And the pressure increases the risk of the tooth cracking in half. If that happens, you may lose the tooth and need a dental implant to replace it.
If the filling in your molar tooth is loose, it is understandable that your new dentist wants to protect the tooth with a crown. We wonder why your former dentist chose a filling instead of a crown.
We suggest that you get the crown as your dentist advises. But if you want your teeth whitened, it should be completed before you get the crown to ensure the crown matches your brighter teeth. Unless your dentist has a good reason for doing the crown before whitening, usually dentists complete whitening first to ensure the crown matches your whitened teeth.
