A root canal is a dental procedure that becomes imperative if the dental pulp gets infected. Experienced dental surgeons apply a conservative approach with an aim to avoid a root canal procedure wherever possible. If the patient is suffering from tooth decay or has experienced trauma to the tooth due to an injury, an experienced dentist will first monitor the condition of the tooth.

Sometimes the decay or the trauma may not have caused a serious enough injury and the tooth nerve may repair itself. In such a case, the dentist will be able to avoid root canal treatment and the original tooth structure can be preserved. However, if the decay invades the nerve, or the nerve inflammation does not heal, the dentist has no choice but to proceed with a root canal in order to save the tooth. The only other option at this point is to remove the tooth.

If the patient decides to try and save the tooth, the dentist makes access through the tooth to perform a root canal treatment, it tends to weaken the crown structure of the tooth. In some cases, the patient may already have a large, existing filling. The tooth decay in some patients may be widespread, causing a large cavity. In cases of injury or trauma to the tooth, there may be slight cracks in the tooth. These conditions cause the natural tooth structure to become very weak.

The result of this weakness of the tooth structure following a root canal is that it almost always needs the support of a crown. This is particularly true of the posterior teeth because they perform the function of chewing. These teeth undergo tremendous biting forces, so it is important to strengthen these teeth with a crown after a root canal.

The front teeth may require a crown in some cases. A dentist may decide to avoid a crown if the original tooth structure is strong and the damage is minimal following a root canal.