I need a post in my tooth, what does this mean?

[Marcus23]

Hello,
I am booked in for a root canal and my dentist has said that I might need a post putting in the tooth afterwards, I have never heard of this before, what does he mean?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Thanks for your question.

Basically, a post is used after any kind of endodontic treatment – procedure carried out on the inner workings of the teeth – to strengthen the structure so it is stable enough to hold a crown in place. Sometimes, after the surgery has been performed, a lot of the tooth has been removed to get rid of the infection, and more of the structure may be lost as the cavity is reshaped to fit the filling; this leaves the tooth vulnerable to more damage. If your tooth is in a bad way, the dentist may place a small post through the centre and down into the roots, this works as a support for the crown and it means the tooth is strong enough to withstand pressure from biting. Fitting a post into the root canal is the best way to avoid extracting a broken down tooth – which comes with a whole host of other problems to consider. It shouldn’t make the operation significantly difficult as it is a fairly routine procedure that your dentist will be familiar with.

As a final point, don’t be afraid to ask your surgeon about any aspects of the treatment, they will be well versed in regular dental procedures and can explain them to you to help put your mind at ease beforehand.