I agree with what Steve says, especially this last part. At one time, the
common thought was that every tooth that had a root canal needed a post and
a crown. Although some dentists stick to this way of thinking, it really
isn't true...and a crown shouldn't be considered an automatic need. If tooth
is otherwise sound and whole, a crown may not be needed after the root canal
is completed.

T

"P T" <Petepenguin@webtv.net> wrote in message news:14534-42E78F92-

Impossible to tell from a Usenet forum.  Might be a problem in 2 days, might
not act up for 2 more years.

You are wrong,  A dead pulp will eventually create serious problems.  Your
history of pain makes it more urgent.  If you wait too long, the RCT may be
too difficult to accomplish easily.

Yes

If there are no fillings on the tooth, and the treating dentist is able to
access the pulp chamber with a small opening (on the back side of the
tooth), then you could perhaps skip the crown altogether.  I don't think a
crown will make this tooth any stronger, unless it has lots of fillings in
it already.

I hope this was helpful.

Almost 3 years ago I fell and hit a front tooth. It chipped a little.
Furthermore, a bright light held behind the tooth reveals cracks.  It
discolored a bit.  It hurt significantly initially.  I had it examined
at that time and was advised I would probably need a root canal
eventually.  Now it still hurts a bit intermittantly, but the pain is
minor, and usually completely controlled by one otc Naproxen.  

Six months ago my dentist did a test with an ice cube and got no
reaction from me, and she proclaimed the tooth dead and in need of root
canal.  I had a communication problem with this dentist and will
probably seek future dental care at a different clinic.  It's time for
my biannual exam, and I'm contemplating having this work done. Although
I will explore these issues with my new dentist, I thought I would ask
here:

What is the urgency level for a procedure on this tooth? It has not
bothered me (much) for over 2 years, so I have the impression this is an
elective decision. Am I wrong? Are bad things happening that I am
unaware of?  

(I am somewhat reluctant to go forward with procedures on this tooth, as
I have had several crowns, and I believe that crown are never quite as
comfortable as the original teeth. And there is another issue too, which
I explore in a different thread here.)

Thanks.
Pete