Crown Vs Root Canal: Understand the Difference!

Oral hygiene is essential to overall health, as painful teeth can be highly distressing. If you’ve experienced dental pain, you’re likely familiar with the terms root canal and crown, which are commonly used in dental procedures.

When the inner pulp of the teeth becomes damaged, it leads to damage and decay that needs a root canal.

On the other hand, the crowns cover the teeth to give your mouth pleasing aesthetics.

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Book your appointment today and get your bright smile back in no time. Now, let’s explore crown vs root canal treatment, both of which can help you avoid a terrible experience.

What is a Crown, and Why is it Needed?

A crown is a tooth-shaped cover primarily used in dental practices to restore a tooth’s shape, strength, and size.

It helps with the overall appearance of the teeth and makes them appear suitable without the need to replace them.

In addition, the crowns fully encase the visible portion of the teeth. Here are some common reasons for why a crown is needed:

• To cover a dental impact. 
• When restoring a tooth after an accident. 
• To improve the cosmetic aspect. 
• To repair a recurrent decay around the existing fillings. 

Pros and Cons of Dental Crown Treatment:

In most cases, the dental crowns are placed on the decayed tooth to protect them from further damage.

The professionals design the dental crowns with metal, porcelain, or resin according to the original tooth structure.

However, there are alternative treatments to protect the damaged teeth, such as root canals. Here are some pros and cons of this treatment:

Pros of Dental Crown Treatment:

Dental crowns help save the patient from tooth damage without significant discomfort. Here are some advantages of dental crown treatment:

1: Protection

One of the significant advantages of dental crown treatments is long-term teeth protection.

To keep the damaged teeth from more damage, a better approach is to protect the teeth with a porcelain cover that protects them and adds to the aesthetics.

2: Customization

Another benefit of choosing the crowning treatment is that they can be easily customized per the patient’s teeth structure, shape, and size.

Crowns can be easily customized to match the color of your teeth, which is a plus. 

3: Aesthetics

Root canals are not primarily for aesthetics; this treatment is mainly used to save decayed teeth. This treatment is for you if you want to Invisalign your teeth. 

4: Long-term treatment

Lastly, dental crowns tend to last longer than root canals. In addition, they require less maintenance over time after the first session.

Furthermore, both crown and root canal treatments have a relatively low pain threshold, making it easier to protect your teeth.

Cons of Dental Crown Treatment:

Along with so many advantages, there are also some disadvantages that one must keep in mind while choosing this procedure:

1: Expensive 

One of the downsides of this treatment is that it is an expensive procedure than a root canal and may require multiple visits to complete the process successfully. 

2: Discomfort

Inconvenience is another factor associated with the downside of this treatment, which is that it causes some discomfort to the people going through it.

But don’t worry at all, as it is temporary and requires filling down the original tooth structure. 

What is a Root Canal?

A root canal is another dental treatment to save the damaged and infected tooth. It repairs the tooth by removing the pulp and nerves.

The final step of the treatment includes cleaning and sterilizing the insides of the canals. Here are a few reasons why you may need this treatment:

• To treat teeth with abscesses.
• Treatment of a tooth that causes irreversible pulpitis. 
• To treat a tooth that endures some trauma. 

A root canal treatment also requires the crown to strengthen the slightly weakened teeth. Here, we will also share some pros and cons of this procedure: 

Pros of Root Canal:

It would help to remember some pros while finalizing this treatment to save your teeth. Also, remember to consult your dentist about your case. 

1: Simple 

The treatment is simple and primary to treat severely damaged and decayed teeth. One of the pros of this process is that you can treat your teeth well without going through a cycle of complex procedures. 

2: Less expensive

Another major pro of this procedure is that it is much less expensive than other dental treatments, especially crowns or implants. 

Cons of Root Canal:

Here we share a few cons:

1: Discomfort

Discomfort and uneasiness are most frequently associated with all dental procedures, including some simple techniques such as scaling.

So, one must be mentally ready to accept that there is no pain or gain for teeth protection. 

2: Infection

Another major downside of this process is the infection that can occur due to several factors, such as no aftercare. 

3: Short term 

One must remember that root canals don’t offer long-term protection to your teeth. A crown without a root canal, on the other hand, protects a longer time frame. 

Final verdict:

Deciding between a crown and a root canal can be challenging as it may vary from case to case. You must weigh both procedures’ pros and cons and choose the best for you with your dentist’s consultation.

Root canals and crowns provide immediate relief from pain, while crowns or implants, in conjunction with root canals, offer essential long-term protection that shouldn’t be neglected.

FAQs

Can I get a crown instead of a root canal?

Yes. Both treatments are independent procedures. In some cases, one might work; in others, you might have to get a root canal crown procedure involving both. 

Why do I need a crown rather than a root canal?

In some cases, only the enamel is damaged, and the tooth’s inner structure is intact. In such scenarios, a crown is enough to protect a tooth. 

Is it painful to get a crown?

No. The procedure is not a great deal of pain. However, there is a certain amount of irritation or discomfort after the process. 

How long do crowns last for?

Mostly, the crowns made up of porcelain survive for five to fifteen years. Additionally, metal crowns have a lifespan of more than 20 years.