I do know one person who’s gone years with a molar root canal and no crown, but he’s super careful and barely chews on that side. Personally, that sounds exhausting.
Gotta admit, I’ve seen a handful of folks go without a crown on a back tooth and not end up in dental disaster territory. It’s not the norm, but it happens. Some teeth just hold up better than others, especially if there’s still a lot of natural tooth left after the root canal. I’m not saying it’s a risk-free move—definitely not my go-to—but I wouldn’t call it a guarantee for catastrophe either. Sometimes, you roll the dice and the tooth hangs in there longer than you’d expect.
Yeah, I get what you mean—it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all thing. My cousin actually skipped the crown after her root canal on a molar, and she’s been fine for years, but she’s super careful about what she eats. I always wonder if it comes down to biting habits or maybe just luck? Anyone here ever regret waiting too long for a crown, or did it work out okay?
- Had a root canal on a back molar about two years ago.
- Dentist said I could wait a bit on the crown if I was careful.
- I tried to avoid anything super crunchy, but honestly, I forgot sometimes.
- Tooth eventually cracked while eating popcorn... not even the hard kernels, just regular popcorn.
- Ended up needing more work and it cost more than just getting the crown right away.
- Kind of wish I'd just done it sooner, but maybe some people have better luck?
Tooth eventually cracked while eating popcorn... not even the hard kernels, just regular popcorn.
That’s rough. I get where you’re coming from—root canal already feels like a “big” fix, so the idea of paying for a crown right after can be hard to swallow (pun intended). My dentist gave me a similar option—“you can wait if you’re careful”—and I definitely tried to stretch it out. I was thinking, “Hey, if I can make it another year or two, that’s money saved.” But then you get those random moments where you forget and bite down on something that doesn’t even seem dangerous.
I had a molar root canal about a year ago and did wait about six months before getting the crown. Insurance was a big part of my decision—new deductible kicked in, so I figured, why not delay? But those months were honestly stressful. Every time I ate something crunchy, I’d have this mini panic attack. It’s like gambling with your own tooth.
Did your dentist mention how much weaker the tooth is after a root canal? Mine said something like 60% less strong or whatever, which sounded made up at first but now makes sense after reading stories like yours. I’m curious if anyone’s actually managed to keep one of these root-canaled molars going long-term without a crown... or is it just wishful thinking?
In hindsight, I kind of regret waiting too, but at the time, dropping another $900+ felt pretty brutal. Maybe some people do get lucky, but for me, it was just constant low-level stress and then finally caving in when my tooth started feeling wobbly.
Is there anyone who’s actually lasted years without a crown on a back molar? Or is it always just a matter of time before something cracks? Sometimes it feels like dentists say “wait if you’re careful,” but maybe they know most of us aren’t as careful as we think we’ll be...
That’s exactly what happened to me—thought I’d be extra careful and just chew on the other side, but it only takes one slip. My dentist said something similar about the tooth being way more fragile after a root canal, but I didn’t really believe it until mine cracked on a piece of bread. I’ve never actually met anyone who kept a molar going for years without a crown. Maybe it’s possible, but honestly, I wouldn’t risk it again. The anxiety alone isn’t worth the money saved, at least for me.
