After the root canal is complete, teeth have a number of characteristics that make them different from normal "vital" teeth (teeth with live nerves inside them). Frequently, these teeth tend to be badly damaged above the gumline due to decay and/or old fillings. Due to lack of blood circulation inside the tooth, they become more brittle than vital teeth, something like a dead tree branch in comparison to one that is alive.

It is therefore recommended that these teeth receive crowns in order to protect and insure success of the root canal treatment. But due to the fact that there is often not very much tooth left above the gumline to "hang" the crown on, we need to do a special kind of filling, -- Post and Core.

What exactly is the post/core and do I really need it?

A post is a rigid structure that is cemented within the root portion of a tooth, and projects up above the level of the gums in order to help retain a filling that will be placed over it. This filling, supported by the post, is used as a core for a crown, but it may remain temporarily as a finished restoration.

The use of a post is determined on an individual basis based upon remaining structure of the tooth and structural requirements for you procedure.