Why did my back teeth onlay crack after a root canal, it's not a real tooth?!
Question: I have an onlay on my rear tooth. It was recently treated with a root canal, about 3 months ago and just yesterday it cracked. I was advised a real tooth could crack after a root canal, so I didn't think it would happen.
Should I pull the teeth now? And what happens when you pull a tooth, but only on one side? Will the other ones move? And does it afftect the upper teeth too?
Answers: I have an onlay on my rear tooth. It was recently treated with a root canal, about 3 months ago and just yesterday it cracked. I was advised a real tooth could crack after a root canal, so I didn't think it would happen.
Should I pull the teeth now? And what happens when you pull a tooth, but only on one side? Will the other ones move? And does it afftect the upper teeth too?
I'm a dentist.
First off, root canal'ed teeth become brittle and prone to breakage within a few months. As such, they need something to cover their cusps and help hold the tooth together. An onlay, as opposed to a crown that completely covers the cusps of the tooth, may or may not accomplish this objective.
As for pulling teeth, absolutely, there are consequences beyond the loss of a tooth. Indeed, adjacent and opposing teeth may move, and move in an undesirable fashion that makes placement of a prosthesis more difficult. In short, it is almost always better to keep your natural teeth when appropriate to do so.