Healthy and Beautiful: Porcelain Dental Crowns after Root Canal Therapy By Bruce Wilderman on April 14, 2015

There are few treatments in dentistry that combine the aesthetics of cosmetic dentistry and the science of restorative dentistry at so high a point of intersection as porcelain crowns. This is particularly true when the porcelain crowns are provided by a cosmetic dentist with the skill, experience, and finely honed artistic eye of Dr. Bruce Wilderman. He has helped countless patients make their damaged smiles whole again with exquisitely crafted, fully customized dental crowns.

One of the greatest benefits of dental crowns is their versatility. They can be used to conceal badly discolored teeth, reinforce weakened or cracked teeth, or simply improve the appearance of misshapen teeth. However, one of the most common uses for porcelain crowns is to preserve the remaining healthy structure of a natural tooth after root canal therapy. By providing his patients with meticulously crafted porcelain dental crowns after root canal therapy, Philadelphia dentist Bruce Wilderman is often able to improve the beauty of his patients’ smiles just as dramatically as he improves their oral health. Patients emerge from treatment with mouths full of functional, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing teeth.

Why do teeth require dental crowns after root canal therapy?

Although many people refer to root canal therapy as simply “a root canal,” the actual root canal is a structure within a tooth. Each tooth contains between one and four of these canals, each of which contains a gelatinous pulp comprising blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues. When this tissue becomes inflamed or infected due to trauma, a signal is sent to the brain, which is interpreted as tooth pain. The only way to stop this pain and preserve the tooth is to remove the infected pulp through root canal therapy. Without root canal therapy, the tooth will eventually die and fall out.

During root canal therapy, an opening is created at the top of the tooth, through which the pulp can be removed from the root canal. It is important that all of the pulp be completely removed so that the tooth does not have to endure any further damage. Once the root canal has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, a filler substance is inserted into the canal. It is then necessary to seal off the root canal and cover the remaining healthy tooth structure to protect it from harm. This is where a dental crown comes into play.

The Benefits of Porcelain Dental Crowns

There was a time when metal crowns were most widely used to protect teeth after root canal therapy, and some dentists continue to use metal crowns to this day. However, Dr. Wilderman uses the finest medical-grade porcelain to produce crowns that are both durable and natural looking. He makes sure that each crown complements surrounding natural teeth in terms of its size, shape, color, and even texture. The result is a restoration that looks beautiful, allows the patient to preserve his or her natural tooth, and can last for a decade or longer with proper oral hygiene habits and regular dental visits.