Dr. Hall,
I just found out my dentist inserted a stainless steel post into my root canal tooth—my upper molar. A temporary crown is placed over it now and a permanent crown will be placed in a week. My question is can the post be removed and a zirconia or carbon post (I don’t think he does those) be put in instead? I don’t want steel in my mouth even though he said it’s encased. My ears have been pulsating since. Please tell me it’s removable!
– Linda from Brooklyn
We thank our advertisers who help fund this site.
Linda,
Yes, a stainless steel post probably can be removed, though there may be some risk involved.
Let me give a little background on this to frame my answer.

A metal post in a lower molar
When a tooth is “bombed out,” needing a root canal treatment and with little tooth structure left, a dental post is often placed in the tooth. This post can serve a couple of purposes. For front teeth and premolars, it can strengthen the tooth against horizontal fracture. For molars and any other teeth, it can also provide additional retention for the crown. If there is little of the original natural crown of the tooth left, the post, anchored in the root of the tooth, will help retain a buildup in the tooth, and the buildup retains the crown.
There is a history to the material out of which the post is made. In the 1970s and earlier, stainless steel was the material of choice for prefabricated dental posts. However, in the 1980s it was discovered that even though a post is cemented inside the tooth and doesn’t come into contact with the bloodstream at all, metal ions were found to leach through the tooth and into the bloodstream. Stainless steel contains nickel, which causes sensitivity reactions in many people (see some of our blog posts on metal allergies). To guard against potential reactions as you seem to be experiencing, many dental practices, including mine, switched to titanium, which is not only very strong but the most biocompatible metal available. In the 1990s, other materials were introduced for posts, including carbon fiber and fiberglass. More recently, zirconia has been used for posts. Zirconia is a ceramic that has high flexural strength and is also very biocompatible.
So yes, you have a legitimate concern about this stainless steel post. Your dentist should get with current technology. From what you are telling me, he isn’t into any of these newer post materials, most of which have been around for twenty years or more.
Now, as to removing the post that is in there, that could be tricky and, depending on the situation, you may not want to trust your dentist to do this but may want to see a root canal specialist or another dentist who feels comfortable doing this. It depends on how deeply the post goes into the root of your tooth and how well it is cemented. It may be possible to dislodge it with an ultrasonic tip. I remember one patient I had who was adamant about removing several metal posts in his teeth. I don’t remember why his posts were so difficult to remove, but I ended up telling him that I had to drill out all of these posts and I had him sign a paper acknowledging that I had told him there were serious risks in doing this, that I could perforate the roots of any or all of these teeth, leading to the loss of the teeth. He was willing to accept those risks. The good news is that I got out all of the posts without any accidents, but I remember it was very stressful for me.
If you feel that you are experiencing a sensitivity reaction to the post, I would put a halt to the crown procedure until you can have the post removed. Cementing a crown on the tooth will only make it more difficult, as your dentist would have to start by drilling through the crown, possibly ruining the crown.
Dr. Hall
Do you have a comment or a question or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below.
Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question of your own.
About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
Wow. I’m surprised that her dentist didn’t ask about allergies. Wouldn’t something like that be on her patient chart?
– Annmarie
Response by Dr. Hall –
Annmarie – the old thinking was that it didn’t matter if she was allergic to the nickel in stainless steel, because the post is encased in the tooth. That is why the dentist told Linda not to worry, because it’s encased in the tooth. The problem is that this dentist isn’t keeping up with research enough and isn’t aware that it has been discovered that metal ions can leach through the tooth into the bloodstream.
Hi Dr. Hall, I have a root canal with a post and it has broken. The post is still there but the crown broke away. Should I get this taken care as it’s been broken since 2013. I’m not a very good patient so I think I might need a sedation dentist to do the work.
– Michael
Response from Dr. Hall:
I’m not sure what you mean by “taken care.” If the tooth has broken, it is likely at the gumline, and the post is also broken off. There is a good chance the tooth isn’t saveable, especially after having the soft dentin of the tooth exposed to decay for five years. Yes, I would get it taken out, and look for someone who can offer sedation.
Anna asks a question about whether or not an electric toothbrush could loosen a post in a tooth. Read the answer by clicking the link.
Dear Dr. Hall,
My husband is in the process of receiving dental implants, “all on 4’s”, in the front, on top. He has the temporary teeth, and we are waiting for the permanent teeth. But I suffer from chemical sensitivity and I am reacting to one of the substances in his mouth. Whenever I get close to him his mouth smells like rubber. At night, I have to pull the covers over my face, the smell is so strong. . . .
– Joan
(Read the rest of Joan’s question and Dr. Hall’s response here: I think I smell my husband’s dental implants.)
I have a three-piece bridge and the post in one tooth broke off. What kind of dentist can do this so I can get another post put in? These are my front teeth. . . .
– Joan
Read the rest of Joan’s question and Dr. Hall’s answer in another blog post: The post in my tooth broke. What now?
I have upper front crowns which are now showing the metal. Is there anyth8ng that can be done to hide this or do I have them taken out. I already have top dentures on both sides of these teeth.
Thank you,
Mrs. Walker
Response by Dr. Hall: The only lasting way to fix your problem when the metal is showing on your front crowns is to replace the crowns. It’s pretty much the same process as doing the crowns in the first place and should cost the same. The teeth will be much less sensitive after already having had crowns on them for years.
My front tooth had a crown for 30 years which fell off 3 years ago. My dentist recemented crown but said I might need a root canal because it would last longer with a long post instead of the short one he put in.
I am feeling it might be falling out soon and I don’t want a root canal. Is there anything else that could be done?
Thank you very much,
Nancy
Response from Dr. Hall:
It’s hard to say without seeing it, but I’m skeptical. If it stayed on for 27 or 30 years before, why would it need something more now? There are also bonding techniques that are pretty strong. I would get a second opinion.