Is it neccessary to have a crown put over a tooth immediately after a Root Canal?

The problem I have is..... I have reached my annual maximum for my Dental Insurance. This would need to be paid for out of pocket. I am not rich. I was planning on having the root canal done in April 2008 I was wondering if I can do the root canal now but postpone the Crown until 1/1/2009? Is that risky? Especially if I focus my chewing of hard items on the opposite side of my mouth. Thanks
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If the root canal is started next month, chances are it won't be finished until the end of the month or May, depending on if it's a molar, how many canals, how booked up the dentist is, etc.... After a root canal treatment, it is recommended to have a core or post & core placed in the tooth, followed by a crown since the teeth become brittle/weak. If you've already reached your annual max for '08, you'll have to pay for the root canal out of pocket anyway.... you can wait until '09 to have the crown done, but you may want to have a temporary crown placed until you're able to get the permanent one made....just to give the tooth some extra stability. If the temporary crown was placed in June, and you had the perm impression in January, it's only 7 months.... you should be ok. Some patients go years with temporary crowns.... sad, but true...and absolutely not recommended. Good luck to you.
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