Hi, Ive always had really soft/bad teeth. I keep them very clean but its like they rebel against me. I recently broke tooth number 4 on the right side. I went to the dentist who said it had decay and that the tooth is very glass like now which caused it to break. He said it wasnt touching the root but wanted to do a double root canal with a post anyway. Now the tooth is 1/4 missing. I asked about money etc. and he informed me that theyd do the root canal and put temp. filling material in it but that Id have to be careful with eating for 6 months until the insurance builds up again next year then theyd make me a crown. My question is if the decay isnt toughing the root why root canal it? Why not try to fill it first? Or if its like he said and the tooth was like glass and 1/4th of its missing wouldnt the tooth eventually break off and Id have to get it pulled and have an implant or something anyway? Any advice or stories would be of great help im a bit lost on what I should do thanks.

The dentist may have mentioned root canal treatment because the decay might have been deep in the tooth and close to the nerve. Whenever root canal treatment is done, the dentist or endodontist will seal the insides of the tooth and then will place a temporary filling on the tooth. After a week to a few weeks after treatment, either a permanent filling or they will begin to prep the tooth for a crown. It's not wise to have a temporary filling in place for 6 months until the insurance kicks in again. Temporary fillings are not designed for prolonged periods of time.