Soon after meeting this new patient, one of their questions was why the new crown was recently placed if only to become symptomatic a short time after (and in this case, when there was infection likely pre-existing the crown).
I get this question from patients A LOT
Here are all of my answers to OUR PATIENTS:
1) The more dentistry a tooth has, the more likely it is going to need a root canal
2) The closer the dentistry approaches to the nerve inside each tooth, the more likely the nerve (which is very delicate tissue) will either become symptomatic and painful and/or die quietly.
3) Your dentist might have offered the option to try to proceed without a root canal, and most people *understandably* decline.
Many patients do not remember this conversation, but when asked, they admit they might recall and agree that they declined and wanted to avoid the root canal
#protips – when getting closer to the nerve and doing more dentistry on a tooth, ESPECIALLY when your BW/PA shows a shrunken pulp chamber, test the tooth beforehand!
Can also refer to endo just to confirm/CYA and please always take a PA of the tooth before you crown/replace a crown.
When possible, take a #cbct
We #endodontists are here for #patients when they’re ready to save their teeth, no matter how difficult
