My dentist suggested root canal to my 2nd molar tooth with cavity in the lower jaw. i can't afford having crown, can i skip it n still get treatment?

Yes with caution: The short answer is yes. Having a root canal will avoid infection in this tooth. What determins the need for a crown after treatment is the amount of remaining tooth structure after root canal treatment. If there is sufficient tooth structure left a crown is not always necessary. Consult your dentist on what options you might have.

Temporarily: Teeth that have had root canal treatment are essentially dead teeth; they no longer have a blood supply to keep them strong. Because of this, they are more brittle and weak than a healthy tooth, more prone to fracturing and breaking. While it may be important to treat this tooth with the root canal to prevent/stop infection, not protecting the tooth risks fracture and possible early loss.

Short term: The root canal treats potential tooth pain or infection. The tooth will be weak. The crown gives back some strength, and will be needed in the long term if a lot of tooth is already missing. You might do the crown later when you can better afford it. But the tooth can break. And you could then lose it. You could find a dentist to do a biocore. It is a fiber reinforced resin filling.

Things to consider..: Dr. Grellner gave you a very thorough and excellent answer. In general, it would be better to save the tooth with rct and temporarily postpone the crown than to extract the tooth. Be careful biting on hard foods until you get the crown! and i would still discuss this issue with your general dentist before going ahead with anything.

Yes: Get the root canal. Make sure two things are done. First, have the tooth totally out of occlusion! second, have a bonded core placed after all previous fillings and decay is removed. Then try to avoid eating on this tooth. This can by you some time. The am assoc of endodontists recommends that all posterior teeth w root canals be protected w crowns or onlays!

Yes but be cautious: After a root canal is completed the tooth's nerve and blood supply is gone which makes the tooth easy to fracture. If you have a crown it stabalizes the tooth. You can wait but be very cautious as the tooth, that you had a root canal and spent money on, could fracture and it may need extracted.

You can, but beware: Teeth that require root canal therapy usually are pretty broken down from decay. In addition, they become brittle after the procedure. You also use your molars for grinding your food, so a lot of biting force is placed on them. Better to save the tooth than extract, BUT without crown you run the risk of fracture and loss of tooth anyway. Get crown as soon as you can to protect your RCT investment.