One of the common problems we see at the practice is the failure of post crowns. These are teeth that have been saved from extration in the past by root filling the tooth and then providing a post to provide retention and then a crown over the top of the post.This type of treatment is an advanced form of restorative dentistry and the final attempt to save a failing tooth. Depending on a number of factors the long term prognosisi of such a treatment can vary from a few months to many years of successful function.
What happens when theses teeth fail? Failure occurs when the root supporting the crown can no longer retain the post possibly due to decay around the root or a root fracture. If a tooth has a root fracture it is advisable to have it removed as soon as possible otherwise significant bone loss may occur which may compromise the placement of an implant.
Extraction is the only option. If a patient is wearing a denture then a tooth may be added to this denture. If a patient does not wish to have a denture long term then a bridge or dental implant is the treatment of choice .
The provision of a bridge may mean destruction of sound adjacent teeth in order to facilitate a bridge. The most conservative option is a dental implant.The modern implant is often simple to place and provides long term success.