How is a cracked molar treated?

Question

Hi doctor,

I had a cracked molar tooth. My dentist drilled it down and put it on a temporary. We waited for a week and the temporary hurt. He decided that I needed crown lengthening, which I had done. I went back to the dentist after it healed for three weeks and had an impression of a crown. He had to drill a little more and got another temporary put-on as the other one broke. When I got home, I had terrible pain after the Novocaine wore off. I called him, and he said that I now probably need a root canal. Can I have a root canal a month after crown lengthening? I have to do something. It hurts on the new temporary when I chew and is hurting, in general, all the time. Is a root canal the right choice now?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read through your complaint and the relevant details. A cracked tooth can be root canal treated depending on the direction of the crack within the tooth especially if it involves the vital part of the tooth called the pulp. The pulp is the vital part. When it is inflamed or infected, you get pain. So in this case, root canal treatment will help you get rid of the pain. It is in this sequence that the treatment should have gone. First root canal treatment, then crown lengthening, and then a temporary crown followed by a permanent crown. But the pain you experience at the moment seems to occur because of increased height in the temporary crown. It can be corrected by shaping the portion of the crown which gets hit first when you bite. The reason for the general pain is again the same one. The decision of whether root canal treatment has to be done or not can be confirmed only with an X-ray. Hence, I am unable to tell you without witnessing the X-ray of the tooth. I request you to send me the x-rays if you have any.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.