When the nerve in a tooth dies, there are two treatment options, (1) a root canal to save the tooth or (2) remove the tooth. Root canal treatment allows us to save teeth!
Most teeth that have had root canals have had a deep cavity, large filling or a crack. Big fillings and cracks in teeth weaken the tooth and increase the chance of the tooth breaking. Dental crowns hold a weakened tooth together preventing both the filling and tooth from breaking.
A research article from 2016 in the American Association of Endodontists found that teeth that did not get a crown within 4 months after the root canal was done were 3 times more likely to be extracted than those that got a crown within 4 months.
We believe that if you are going to invest the time, effort and money into root canal treatment, you also need to plan on getting a crown shortly after the root canal is done.