After every root canal, you need to protect the fragile tooth underneath with a crown. Many times I get asked "Do I need a root canal too?" The answer is - usually not. This is another one-way street in dentistry. Every time you get a root canal you need a crown on the tooth, but NOT every time you get a crown do you need a root canal. A crown can be done on a healthy tooth and it isn't necessary to do a root canal on it. That isn't ALWAYS the case, but it usually is.