[Tbizz]

I am going to be having extensive dental work done, including root canals on my front teeth, my dentist didn't include crowns in my treatment plan, do these teeth need to be crowned?

[JudyKayTee]

We have an expert and she will come along BUT I had a root canal in an upper front tooth more than 15 years ago. It's never been bonded, crowned, anything else, I've never had a problem with it, it's the same color as my other teeth.

I don't know why the Dentist didn't put a crown on it but I have the same Dentist and she's never suggested it.

[Tbizz]

Thanks for the response... I am having major dental work done, my treatment plan didn't include crowns on the front teeth that were being root canaled and that made me a little nervous, can I ask what do they do to repair them, fill them with white fillings?

[JudyKayTee]

Sure, ask them. Mine does have a white filling. My root canal was "strange" - I had facial pain, sort of a "tic" when the wind hit my face. Had all sorts of tests, nothing conclusive and then one day I ate (of all things) hot pizza and the pain shot into my eye. The tooth had gone "bad" from the root, not a mark on the visible tooth. Why nobody could figure out the dental x-rays - I still don't know.

You absolutely cannot tell that I've had a root canal.

In the beginning I was very nervous that it would somehow break but time has gone by and... nothing. I would not, for example, bite into a pretzel rod with that tooth or anything along those lines (that's what back and side teeth are for) but I don't take any other precautions.

Ask the Dentist see what he/she recommends - I'd be curious to know.

[flossie]

It would all depend on how much function your front teeth have. If you have an heavy anterior (front teeth) bite a crown may be recommended. When teeth have had root canals they are at risk of breaking and this is why a crown is usually recommended.