If possible, try and save the tooth. The last thing you really want to do is lose another tooth. Once it is gone, it is gone. As much of a pain and expense as your natural teeth can sometimes be, it is still better to keep them for as long as possible.
A crown is not always necessary after you have had a root canal on the tooth. It really depends on the tooth, how much pressure you apply to that tooth, and how fragile the tooth already is before the root canal.
The reason why crowns are applied to a tooth after a root canal is because the tooth will become fragile over time. A root canal is simply a procedure where they remove the nerve of the tooth, sterilize the inside of the tooth, and then fill the inside of the tooth where the nerve once was. The nerve supplies moisture to the tooth. Since that nerve is now gone, the tooth will dry out and become fragile over time. The crown is then placed on the tooth as a protective measure.
Now, if the tooth has had a lot of work on it in the past and there is 50% or less of the natural tooth structure left, a crown is needed to protect the remaining tooth structure and allow for the tooth to function properly.
After the root canal procedure is finished, a temporary filling will be placed in the tooth. In a few weeks after the procedure, either a permanent filling will be placed and/or a crown. If you do not have to have a crown placed right away, wait at least 6 months or more before having a crown placed. This will give time for the tooth to heal as well as to make sure their was no re-infection of the tooth. Make sure to get the permanent filling placed and not just leave the temporary filling in. It is much easier to re-treat the root canal tooth if there is only a filling there and not a crown. Also, it is not uncommon for some people to experience sensitivity in a root canal tooth after the procedure even though there is no nerve in the tooth. The sensitivity is from the ligaments that hold the tooth in the socket and just from general dental work. The sensitivity should subside with time after the procedure. This is another reason why if you can wait to have a crown placed, it is best to do so. If a crown is placed too soon, the tooth can become all that more irritated and be sore for quite some time.
Some people experience some pain before and some sensitivity after the root canal treatment. During the procedure, you will be numb. When the root canal procedure is completed, you will have no nerve left in the tooth. The tooth will be essentially dead. The sensitivity, sometimes pain, that people feel after they have had root canal treatment is from the ligaments that hold the tooth in the socket. They can be sore due to the procedure itself and if the tooth was already sore before the root canal. The sensitivity will ease with time. Many times, people can take Advil or Tylenol for relief.
There are also people where the root canal tooth was only sore and/or painful before the procedure was started. Once the procedure was completed, they had no pain or sensitivity in the tooth. It's really different for each person.
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