1. Why do I need "Core Build Up"

Placing a post in a tooth that has had root canal treatment.
A "post" is a rod that a dentist has positioned and then cemented in the canal space in a tooth's root. Typically, but not always, dental posts are made out of metal.

Posts are usually only placed in those teeth which have extensive portions of their natural tooth structure missing. Dentists know, in general, that the greater the amount of a tooth that can extend up into the center of the dental crown, the more stable the crown will be. In those cases where a great deal of tooth structure is missing a dentist will "build up" the height of the tooth using dental filling material. A dental post provides a way for the dentist to securely anchor this filling material core to the tooth.

How does a dentist place a post in a tooth?
When placing a post a dentist will first use a drill and remove some of the gutta percha filling material that was placed during the tooth's root canal treatment. They will then cement the post and subsequently place a core of filling material around the post's upper portion, so to increase the overall amount of structure that will extend up into the crown.

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