I found out recently that you don’t always have to get a full crown after a root canal—sometimes an onlay or inlay can do the trick, depending on how much tooth is left. I always thought it was crown or bust, so this kinda surprised me. Anyone here had an onlay or something else instead of a crown? Did it hold up okay, or would you just go with the crown next time?
Title: Ever heard of onlays instead of crowns after a root canal?
I used to think it was “crown or nothing” too, but my dentist threw me a curveball last year and suggested an onlay after my molar root canal. Honestly, I was skeptical—I mean, the word “onlay” doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. But apparently if there’s enough healthy tooth left, it can work just fine. It’s been about a year and so far, no issues. Feels solid, no weird sensitivity or anything.
I will say, the idea of NOT grinding down the whole tooth for a crown sounded pretty appealing. Less invasive, less tooth gone forever. Plus, insurance covered it about the same as a crown anyway (which surprised me).
If you’ve got good tooth structure left, I’d say don’t stress about skipping the crown. The onlay is holding up way better than I expected... but if something goes sideways, I guess there’s always round two with a crown later. Sometimes dentistry feels like a choose-your-own-adventure book, right?
You’re spot on about the “choose-your-own-adventure” vibe in dentistry these days. I get why the word “onlay” feels a bit sketchy at first—it just doesn’t sound as reassuring as “crown,” right? But honestly, preserving more of your real tooth is a huge win in my book. I’ve seen so many people get crowns as a default, even when there’s plenty of healthy tooth left, and it always seemed a bit drastic.
I had a similar situation a couple years back after a root canal on a premolar. My dentist suggested an onlay, and I’ll admit, I was nervous about it holding up. Fast forward, it’s still going strong and feels just like the rest of my teeth. No sensitivity, no weird bite issues, nothing. And like you said, if it ever fails, you can always go for a crown down the road—nothing lost.
It’s kind of wild how much dental options have changed, and honestly, I wish more people knew you don’t always have to go straight for the crown. Glad yours is working out. Sometimes less really is more.
That’s awesome to hear your onlay’s holding up after a root canal. I totally relate to the “onlay” vs. “crown” hesitation—it just sounds less sturdy, right? But keeping more of your real tooth is such a big deal. I went the crown route a few years back and, honestly, I wish I’d known more about onlays. Crowns are fine, but man, the prep felt aggressive. If I ever have to do it again, I’ll definitely ask about options. It’s great that dentists are starting to offer more choices instead of just defaulting to the old ways.
“crown” hesitation—it just sounds less sturdy, right?
It’s wild how much dental stuff has changed, right? I totally get what you mean about crowns feeling kind of drastic—I remember sitting in the chair thinking, “Wait, you’re grinding away how much?” when I had mine done a few years back. Didn’t even know onlays were a thing until after, and by then it was too late for me.
I’ve got a friend who went the onlay route after her root canal (molars, I think), and she’s been happy so far—no issues after about two years. She mentioned it felt less “fake,” if that makes sense, since more of her real tooth was left. I do wonder if onlays last as long as crowns, though… seems like it depends a lot on the tooth and how much damage there was to begin with.
Honestly, I wish I’d asked more questions at the time. Live and learn, I guess. It’s reassuring to see more people get options instead of the one-size-fits-all approach.
