Dental Crown VS Root Canal: How to Choose the Best Option

When it comes to our dental health, we think deeply and search for dental treatment options available in the market or in the hospitals near us, such as dental crown treatment and many more. A dental crown vs root canal is the best option for treating a damaged tooth.

Why is dental care so important? It’s because if we eat a healthy meal with diseased or unhealthy teeth, then it can negatively impact our body. So here in this blog, we are providing information on a dental crown vs root canal. We include their causes, symptoms, risks, and benefits so that you get a better idea about both and choose your treatment option carefully.

Overview of a Dental Crown

A dental crown is a white cap that is used to protect the teeth from further damage. These crown helps teeth in reshaping their size, shape, strength, and looks. Dental crowns help in improving the overall function of the teeth and making them stronger than before by adding an extra layer of protection around the teeth. These crowns can be made up of metal(like gold & silver), porcelain, or zirconia.

Causes of Dental Crown

Here are some causes of a dental crown:

Advanced Dental Cavities: When a cavity is increasing rapidly in a tooth, then a crown is used to stop the cavity and give shape to the tooth.
Extensive Filling: Extensive filling in the tooth can make it weak, so using a crown can be useful for providing support and protection to the tooth.
Damaged Teeth: Crowns help in reshaping damaged teeth.
Wear and Tear: With time, teeth get wear & tear, which creates problems, so in that case, using a crown can help in restoring the shape and strength of the teeth.
Discoloured Teeth: Crowns are used for covering discoloured teeth.

Symptoms of Dental Crown

Here are some symptoms of a dental crown:

Tooth Pain: It is one of the symptoms of a dental crown. Pain can be felt in the crown area, which reduces over time.
Sensitivity: The individual feels sensitivity to cold, warm, and sweet food, which can be a sign of a broken crown seal.
Loose Crown: A loose crown can create many problems, such as allowing bacteria to enter the crown & damage the teeth.
Visible Gaps: If the treatment is not proper, then it can leave some visible gaps between teeth and the crown, which affects your smile.
Fever: In some cases, fever can be felt due to bacteria spread over the crown.
Parageusia: The individual can feel a parageusia due to a new crown.
Bad Breath: If the crown is not fixed properly, it results in an increase in bacteria inside the mouth, which results in bad breath.

Alternatives to Dental Crowns

Here are some alternatives to dental crowns:

Bone Graft Treatment: It is used to change a damaged tooth. Bone graft treatment can be used as a second option to dental crowns.
Complete Denture Treatment: This treatment helps in replacing diseased or fractured teeth with functional appliances. Complete denture treatment is good for elderly people.
Root Canal: It is a good alternative because it helps in removing the infected pulp from the teeth.

Overview of a Root Canal

It is a dental procedure used to cure a diseased tooth by removing the infected pulp from the tooth, cleaning and germiciding the area, then filling the tooth with a metal compound, and after that sealing it completely so that the chances of infection are reduced. This process is used to save the original tooth without being replaced with artificial ones. This is an old technique used for many years.

Causes of Root Canal

Here are some causes of root canal:

Deep Caries: A deep cavity, if left without treatment, can cause inflammation or infection in the pulp.
Retreatment: A repetitive dental procedure can also lead to damage to the tooth and increase the chances of infection in the pulp.
Fractures: A fractured tooth can also cause infection and inflammation in the mouth.
Injury: A past mouth injury can also lead to a pulp infection in the mouth.
Broken Crown: A broken crown can increase the chance of original tooth damage from bacterial effects.
Gum Disease: If there is gum disease which left untreated then it can cause infection in the pulp region.

Symptoms of Root Canal

Here are some symptoms of a root canal:

Pain: Pain is a main symptom seen after root canal treatment, and it reduces over time.
Sensitivity: An individual can feel sensitivity in the mouth while drinking cold, hot, and sweet food.
Bad Smell & Taste: A permanent bad smell and taste in the mouth is a sign of infection.
Fever: Infection can cause fever and other problems in the body.
Loose Tooth: Infection can lead to weakening the tooth, which results in a loose tooth.
Swelling: An individual can face difficulty in swallowing food and other items.

Alternatives to Root Canal

Here are some alternatives to root canal:

Dental Bridge Treatment: A dental bridge treatment is a good alternative to a root canal, which helps in replacing missing teeth in the mouth.
Dental Crown Treatment: It is a good option to treat unhealthy teeth by covering them with a crown.
Denture Treatment: For replacing diseased teeth with artificial ones, denture treatment is the best option.

Difference Between Dental Crown vs Root Canal

Dental Crown	Root Canal
The use of a dental crown is to restore the form, proportion, and strength of a fractured tooth.	The purpose of a root canal is to protect the tooth from being drawn.
The procedure involves capping a damaged tooth with a tooth-shaped cover.	The procedure involves cleaning, filling, and sealing the root canal.
An individual can go for a dental crown after a root treatment to increase the strength of the tooth.	It is needed when the soft tissue is infected with bacteria.
The outcome of this is a strengthened tooth and protection from further damage.	The outcome is a reduction in infection, increased pain, and proper functioning of the tooth.
If taken care of properly dental crown can last for many years.	If the dental hygiene is good on a daily basis, then a root canal can be useful for many years.

When would you need a Dental Crown vs Root Canal?

Here is a detailed explanation for both:

Dental Crown: It is needed when you are coming from a root canal treatment to protect the tooth with a double-layer protection and strengthen the tooth for a longer period of time.
Root canal: It is needed when the soft tissues inside your tooth get infected or damaged for any reason, which causes many problems.

Types of Treatments: Dental Crown vs Root Canal

Here are some types of treatments for both:

Types of Dental Crown Treatment

Metal Crowns: Metal crowns are made up of gold & silver, which makes them strong & durable for a longer period of time. It is used in molars where the biting force is maximum. With a metal crown, teeth are not visible.
Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns: These crowns are a mix of metal & porcelain, which makes them durable & aesthetic at the same time. But it comes with some cons, such as wear & tear in a shorter period of time.
Ceramic Crowns: These crowns are completely made up of porcelain, which makes them look aesthetically like real teeth. These crowns are mostly used for the front tooth dental crown procedure.
Zirconia Crowns: These crowns are new in the market and come with a combination of strength & aesthetic look. People can use them for their front as well as for their back teeth.
Chairside Crowns: These crowns are made up of ceramic or zirconia. It is a one-day process to make a crown. It is convenient and fast, but with limited material.
Temporary Crowns: These are a temporary option used for a limited time, in which permanent crowns are fabricated in the lab.

Types of Root Canal Treatment

Non-Surgical Root Canal Treatment: It is the most common type of root canal treatment. In this treatment, a dentist uses a drill to reach the pulp cavity or root canal area, then they clean the area, start filling, and end by sealing the root canal.
Root End Surgery: This process comes into existence when non-surgical treatment fails. In this process, doctors remove the top of the root and nearby damaged tissue, clean the root, fill the cavity, and seal it completely.
Nerve Treatment: In this treatment, damaged nerves are treated so that they can not have a negative impact on the brain because nerve cells are also connected to our brain.
Pulp Extirpation: In this treatment option, damaged or bacterial pulp and root are removed from the tooth so that it does not damage the tooth further.

Procedure: Dental Crown vs Root Canal

Here is a detailed procedure of treatment for both:

Dental Crown Procedure

This procedure is performed mainly in two appointments:

First Appointment

General Checkup: In the first appointment dentist checks all the teeth one by one and marks those teeth that need crowning.
Local Anesthesia: Then the dentist gives local anesthesia so that the patient does not feel pain during the procedure.
Creating Space: The dentist removes the cavity, if needed, and creates some space for fitting a temporary crown.
Tooth Print: They take the prints of all marked teeth so that permanent crowns can be crafted.
Temporary Crown: Till permanent crowns are crafted, teeth are covered with a temporary crown.

Second Appointment

Removing Temporary Crown: In the second appointment temporary crown is removed for fitting new crowns.
Fitting: The dentist fitted the permanent crowns on the teeth.
Jointing: They use a cementic process for jointing the crown with teeth.
Final Checkup: In the final step, the dentist checks for excessive cement on the teeth and any space between the crown and teeth so that the problem can be solved at that time.

Root Canal Procedure

This procedure takes a single appointment:

Examination: In this procedure, the dentist checks the problem and assesses it using X-rays.
Anesthesia: Then a local anesthesia is given to the patient for comfort during the procedure.
Damaged Tissue Removal: Then, in the next stage dentist removes the damaged tissue or pulp from the teeth.
Cleaning: They clean it properly so that all bacteria can be removed from the teeth.
Filling & Sealing: They start filling the gaps and sealing the area for complete protection from further damage.
Final Checkup: Last, the dentist checks all the teeth that are treated so that they can fix any problem early on.

Risk Involved in Dental Crown & Root Canal

Here are some risks involved in both:

Risk Involved in Dental Crown

Sensitivity: After dental crowning, patients can feel sensitivity to changes in temperature.
Ware & Tear: This problem is common because of the longer use of crowns to start wearing and tear.
Gum Problems: Crowns can create gum problems near crown teeth.
Allergic Reaction: The metals in the crown can be the reason for an allergic reaction.
Bacterial Tapping: There is a problem in the crown that if crowns are not fitted properly, bacteria can tap into it.

Risk Involved in Root Canal

Infection: A root canal treatment can cause infection in the teeth, which can damage the teeth completely.
Nerve Damage: The procedure of root canal can damage the nerve if not performed accurately.
Procedure Failure: If the procedure is not done carefully, it can also create some problems within the teeth.
Discolouration: Root canal treatment can cause discolouration of teeth for a longer period.
Biting Pain: Patients have problems biting food or other eatables after root canal treatment.

Benefits of Dental Crown and Root Canal

Here are some benefits of both:

Benefits of a Dental Crown

Dental Guard: These crowns help in guarding your teeth from bacteria and infection.
Renewed Look: After a dental crown, our teeth look new and clear.
Increased Strength: These crowns help in increasing the strength of teeth.
Improved teeth function: It helps in improving the biting & chewing of food.
Affordable: This procedure is cost-effective and requires less cost than its alternative options.

Benefits of Root Canal

Reduction in Pain: Root canal treatment helps in reducing the pain in the teeth.
Infection control: This treatment helps in controlling the infection by removing bacteria from the teeth.
Preservation of Tooth: The root canal helps in preserving the actual teeth from being damaged.

How much Recovery Time is needed after a Dental Crown and Root Canal Treatment?

Here are some points regarding the time of recovery for both:

Dental Crown: Sometimes it depends on the patients, how much time they need for recovery, because some recover in just a few days, while some take time to recover from a dental Crown.
Root Canal: The recovery process can take some time, from 1 & 2 days to weeks in case of root canal treatment. The recovery also depends on many factors such as a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, and cleaning teeth.

Foods that can be Avoided during Recovery from a Dental Crown and Root Canal

Here are some foods that you can avoid in both situations:

Spicy Foods: It is very important to avoid spicy foods because they can create a problem of discomfort near the crown or treated area.
Extremely Cold and Hot Foods and Drinks: These foods & drinks are also avoidable during the recovery phase because they can create sensitivity in the teeth.
Gummy Foods: Foods like candies & chewing gum can be a problem for crowns and root canals because they can stick to the filling and tear it.
Hard Foods: It is very important to avoid hard foods during recovery because they can break the crown or root canal filling.

Dental Crown and Root Canal Cost in India

Here we discussed the cost for both:

Dental Crown: The cost for a single crown in India can range from 5,000 INR to 40,000 INR. This cost depends on many factors such as the type of crown used, the hospital location, the dentist’s fees, and the number of appointments.
Root Canal: Root canal cost in India can start from 4,000 INR and go up to 15,000 INR and more for a single tooth. This cost can be affected by many factors such as the dentist’s experience in this field, location, number of teeth replaced, and clinic facilities.

Conclusion

In this blog, we learn and get knowledge about the differences between a dental crown vs root canal. We discussed all the important factors, pros & cons, types, and alternatives available for dental crown and root canal. So if you are planning for this treatment but are confused about choosing the best option for you and your partner, then you can read this blog thoroughly, which gives you a clear idea of choosing your treatment.

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