Root Canal Through Crown. Any Alternatives?

[sunshower21]

The tooth in question has already been drilled to a nub and a temporary crown put on top. No root canal was done. It started giving me pain all of a sudden when I would drink coffee and would last for an hour. I called my dentist thinking there might be a crack in the crown. He prescribed me antibiotics and it actually worked. I go in today, took an xray, there was no crack and he tells me he wont be able to do the root canal bc it would damage the crown and my insurance wont pay for a new one. He said I'd have to go to a specialist to get a hole drilled in my crown and do the root canal that way (which would take 2 hours) instead of taking it off. I'm a little angry at the whole insurance issue. Has anyone been in a similar situation and had to get a root canal through your crown? Is there any easier alternative?

 

[MattKW]

So, do you still have the temporary crown in place or has the permanent one been cemented? Do you have xrays to show us?

 

[sunshower21]

The temporary is still in place. Unfortunately, I do not have an xray

 

[MattKW]

If it's only a temporary crown, then it's made of plastic, and glued on with a temporary cement. You haven't paid for the completed crown and therefore haven't claimed through your insurer.
An endodontist would simply remove or drill through the temporary, then you can get the real crown cemented. There won't normally be much change to the underlying tooth, so if the permanent crown has been made and is waiting for you, it should fit on easily after the RCT is finished.