[Candid Thoughts] Think Twice Before Placing a Dental Post #ToothSaving #DrChoiYonghoon

I mainly share highly challenging tooth-saving cases,

but when I examine these tiny teeth up close in the clinic, all sorts of thoughts come to mind.

Yesterday's treatment was so grueling that I'm still feeling the aftereffects,

and it was a tooth with a post placed inside it.

First, a tooth with a post fills me with dread.

When the post won't come out

When the post has caused a crack

When the post has caused a perforation

And many other difficult problems that I have to handle and solve.

So, is a tooth post always bad?

As always, there is no such thing as a bad dental treatment.

Is salt a bad ingredient?

If you add an unnecessarily large amount of salt, then salt becomes the problem,

but salt itself is not at fault.

Posts were used to keep the crown from falling off when a tooth was badly broken down,

but with the advancement of resin bonding technology, their use has declined considerably.

Personally, I don't think I've placed a post in the past 10 years.

If there isn't enough tooth structure left, it's better to perform re-implantation to bring the tooth up and restore it properly,

because forcing a post into a tooth with insufficient remaining structure is hard on the patient and leads to poor results.

Sometimes posts are placed without any real reason.

If a post is absolutely necessary, I will place one,

but whenever possible, it's best to avoid posts.

Posts are difficult or nearly impossible to remove.

To save a tooth that has already been treated, all of its problems must be resolved, of course.

If a post is firmly lodged in place and cannot be removed, saving the tooth becomes impossible.

Cast posts, which are made by melting metal and fitting it in place, are especially problematic.

Removing them is so difficult that I don't attempt it.

A cast post may well be the last treatment this tooth ever receives, so please think carefully about it.

When I extract teeth with posts, I often find a striking number of cracks and perforations.

At this point, people will come at me asking whether there is any evidence that the post caused the cracks and perforations.

You're right, there is no evidence.

However, the fact that teeth with posts show so many cracks and perforations

comes from my personal experience of managing more extracted teeth than anyone else, so please take it as a reference only.

In any case, teeth with posts bring many problems and complications, and they give me a headache both physically and mentally,

so I want to save the tooth and keep using it if I possibly can.

If a tooth is in a condition where a post is optional,

my personal recommendation is not to place one.

This is a very personal post.

Just as I personally prefer to avoid root canal treatment and like partial ceramic restorations better than crowns,

I conclude that since posts can come with these kinds of problems, it's best to avoid them whenever you can.

That's all.

In Korea, implants are the default treatment.

Saving a tooth without root canal treatment is not a simple or easy procedure.

Also, once a tooth passes a certain point, it can no longer be saved.

Cases with multiple missing teeth or multiple loose teeth are difficult to handle with the tooth-saving approach I practice.

I recommend that you thoroughly review my blog and YouTube channel and check whether your case fits.

Dr. Choi Yong-hoon clinic introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCiCJLrG1J8

#CrackedTooth #Reimplantation #ToothReimplantation #FracturedToothReimplantation #PeriodontalDiseaseReimplantation #DrChoiYonghoon #ToothSaving

Frequently Asked Questions

Are tooth posts (post and core) always a bad treatment?

They are not always bad. The author says posts can be used when truly necessary, but because they are sometimes placed without good reason, it's best to avoid them when possible.

Why are tooth posts rarely used these days?

The author explains that as resin bonding technology has advanced, the use of posts has dropped significantly. Posts were traditionally used to keep the crown from falling off when a tooth was badly broken down.

Can a post be removed later if the tooth needs more treatment?

The author explains that posts are difficult or nearly impossible to remove. Cast posts, made by melting metal, are especially hard to remove, so the author does not attempt it.

What should be done if a tooth has very little remaining structure?

The author says that if the remaining tooth is insufficient, re-implantation to bring the tooth up is better than forcing a post in. However, the author notes that this tooth-saving approach cannot be applied in cases with multiple missing teeth or multiple loose teeth.

Do posts cause cracks or perforations in teeth?

The author says there is no evidence that posts caused cracks or perforations. However, based on personal experience of managing many extracted teeth, the author notes that many cracks and perforations are observed in post-treated teeth.