How are post crowns different?
Post crowns are different from the regular dental crowns due to a reinforcement insert that is placed in the root of a tooth for additional retention capability of the crown. The post crown essentially involves two distinctly different procedures. The first procedure is an insert called the “post” which is placed into the tooth root after the tooth has undergone a root canal treatment. The post is bonded in its place and then the tooth is built up around the post using a tooth-colored material known as a “core”. It is shaped to fit within the crown, and then the second procedure of crown placement is performed. Once the crown is completed, it is then cemented over the top of the tooth encasing everything within the crown itself.
A post crown is typically required in a situation where the tooth has experienced major damage, or the top of the tooth has been substantially wasted away due to tooth decay. In such a condition, a regular crown may not be able to stay in place firmly because it has very little tooth structure left to hold on to. If the dentist places a regular crown in these circumstances, it may soon result in crown failure. The crown will not be able to sustain the biting and chewing forces for a long time if it is does not fit correctly. Therefore, a post must be placed inside the tooth in such a situation to provide more retention to the crown.
The post fits like a peg on top of the tooth and becomes a seat on which the crown can rest firmly. However, it should be noted that a post crown may have a shorter life as compared to a regular dental crown. This is because the natural tooth structure is in a more damaged state in the case of post crowns, and also the placement of the post may make the tooth root weaker than before. But despite this limitation, a post crown is still the best option available under the circumstances. It is definitely the preferred option rather than going for tooth extraction.
A post crown is typically required in a situation where the tooth has experienced major damage, or the top of the tooth has been substantially wasted away due to tooth decay. In such a condition, a regular crown may not be able to stay in place firmly because it has very little tooth structure left to hold on to. If the dentist places a regular crown in these circumstances, it may soon result in crown failure. The crown will not be able to sustain the biting and chewing forces for a long time if it is does not fit correctly. Therefore, a post must be placed inside the tooth in such a situation to provide more retention to the crown.
The post fits like a peg on top of the tooth and becomes a seat on which the crown can rest firmly. However, it should be noted that a post crown may have a shorter life as compared to a regular dental crown. This is because the natural tooth structure is in a more damaged state in the case of post crowns, and also the placement of the post may make the tooth root weaker than before. But despite this limitation, a post crown is still the best option available under the circumstances. It is definitely the preferred option rather than going for tooth extraction.