Hi pennye,

A crown may be able to support a fractured tooth but it really all depends on where and how large the fracture is in the tooth. The dentist may or may not be able to tell that information from an x-ray. He may have to remove the filling to get a better look at it.

Please make sure that your dentist follows the proper safety protocol when removing that mercury filling. Just drilling into it will cause the mercury to explode into zillions of pieces and it will get lodged in the tissue. Since mercury is toxic in any amount, it is imperative to go to a dentist who routinely performs the proper removal protocol. This includes using a rubber damn to isolate the tooth while it's being drilled on, high powered suction held over the tooth to reduce the off spray of mercury and oxygen via a nasal cannula on the patient. After the filling is removed and while the rubber damn in still in place, the treated area should be rinsed with copious amounts of water while the assistant hovers over the tooth with the high speed suction. All of these things are imperative to limit the exposure to the mercury vapors.

Root canals do not fix a fractured tooth. They do not make the tooth healthy again. So to do a root canal on a fractured tooth is just putting off the inevitable which is removal of the tooth.

Do not wear the night guard if it makes your teeth sore as that can cause irreversible irritation to the pulp and ligament. You need to have it adjusted.