Question: I fractured a front tooth, diagonally. The nerve is still fully encapsulated in the tooth and there is no pain. A dentist suggested to do a root canal, post and crown. Why can’t they simply slip a crown over what is left of the tooth? - Dave, West Palm Beach
Answer: Dave, I told you to turn off the ceiling fan before dusting the blades. If a tooth fractures through the enamel (outer coating) and the dentin (inner layer), but does not expose the pulp (nerve canal), you probably can reconstruct the tooth with composite resin bonding or a crown. However, even if the nerve was not exposed, an X-ray and a pulp test must be performed to evaluate the need to remove a damaged, dying nerve, i.e. root canal. If a pulp test using heat, cold, percussion and an electric pulp tester shows the nerve is dead; get the root canal. If all is OK, then restore the tooth and be prepared for a possible future need for root canal.
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