Hello there,About 10 years ago I had a crown placed on a tooth that had previously been home to a huge amalgam filling.  I have had zero trouble out of this tooth until recently.  About a month ago I noticed that the crown felt loose and if I press straight up on the crown with my tongue, It feels like it is moving up (ever so slightly).  This tooth has not had a root canal and when I have seen x-rays of the tooth since then, I notice what looks like a tiny metal rod that goes down into what tooth was left.  I assume this was because there wasnt much tooth remaining after removing the filling material.  My issue is that I am leary of having this tooth checked out because I dont want to lose it as it is toward the front of my mouth.  How difficult is it to replace a crown?  especially if the crown in question has a post already installed?  Thanks so much
Hello there, Thanks for writing your query, According to your clinical history I suspect you had a PIN RETAINED amalgam restoration over your tooth. Usually post with crown preparation is done only after the tooth is devitalized by root canal procedure. In your case as you have mentioned you have no symptoms of pain and discomfort related to the tooth, we need to check the vitality of the tooth before replacing the crown. Exact diagnosis can be made only after clinical examination and evaluation by taking radiographs.  If needed, Root canal procedure is done to disinfect the tooth by removing the infected nerve tissue and the root canals are cleaned, shaped and filled with permanent restorative material. Once the treatment is completed, the tooth can be restored by a post and core preparation with a prosthetic crown coverage. I hope this helps, take care.