A crown fell off a molar, now it’s infected?

I have put off getting a crown replaced due to financial hardships, but now the tooth, (lower left molar) has a pocket of puss around it and my jaw is swollen. I am on antibiotics, but was wondering now since the tooth is infected, will a new crown fix the problem? I was told the nerves were exposed; all you need is a new crown. What is the probability I will need a root canal since this tooth is so infected?

Thanks Melanie,

Dear Melanie,

A new dental crown alone will not fix your infected tooth. If you truly have a tooth infection and you were told the nerves of the tooth were exposed you will most likely need to have a root canal. Crowning the tooth alone will not make the infection go away. An infected tooth with your symptoms requires a root canal where the nerves are removed from the roots of the tooth. This entails the canals in the root of the tooth to be cleaned out and disinfected, removing the bacteria which are causing the infection. If you are unsure whether the tooth needs a root canal, we recommend you visit an endodontist who specializes in root canal treatments.

This post is sponsored by Baton Rouge dentist Sherwood Dental Care.