A dental crown is a great salvation for many people with teeth problems. It is often the only solution for them to protect their teeth and maintain a proper aesthetic look. Dental crowns not only serve a cosmetic purpose but also help the tooth to function as it did before.
Normally, the tooth under a crown doesn’t bother the patient. But this happens sometimes. The crowned tooth may start to hurt, become sensitive, and cause lots of discomforts. Although that tooth is supposed to be already treated, there may be a new problem to solve. Why does your crowned tooth hurt? Let’s look at all the possible causes.
- The tooth under the crown has a nerve.
The pain is acute, the tooth is sensitive to fluctuations in temperatures. The pain increases at nighttime but can be soothed by a cold compress. It is also possible for the tooth to hurt all the time with a stable intensity of pain.
This is usually caused by a big cavity or pulpitis under the crown. It is possible to treat without taking the crown off. Through a drilled hole, the nerve will be removed and the root canals cleaned and treated. The hole will then be filled. - The tooth under the crown has no nerve.
The pain can be acute or dull; the tooth is not sensitive but hurts when biting. The gum may swell. Also, it’s possible for the pain to spread over the temple, eye, or ear. The reason is more likely to be periodontitis. It appears because of pulp necrosis or poor quality of the crown alignment and fixation. In addition, this problem can be caused by malocclusion or tooth injury.
The solution to this problem will require several visits to the dentist. A dentist will treat it through the crown with cleaning and filling the root canals. If there is a pin inside, apical resection surgery will be the only solution to treat the tooth. - The gum around the crown is swollen.
The pain is dull. Food gets stuck between the teeth. It is also possible to see pus coming out from under the gum. The reason here is poor quality dental work. The tooth under the crown requires a thorough cleansing. - The tooth under the crown is severely decayed.
All the characteristics of pain and discomfort mentioned above apply here as well. It may occur for several reasons: poor quality of the dentist’s work, untreated periodontitis, and calculus under the crown. If there is a cosmetic bridge and the tooth is in the middle, it can be removed without removing the bridge. If not, both the crown and the tooth will need to be removed. - The cosmetic bridge is unstable and the teeth underneath hurt.
The reasons may also be any of the ones mentioned above, including the results of excessive strain while chewing. In this case, the crown will need to be removed, the supporting teeth treated if possible and then the other bridge is crafted, with a different balance.
Remember that no matter what your pain and discomfort is, any delay in treatment is inappropriate. In most cases, it’s possible to treat your teeth without taking off your dental crown in an hour. However, you should be ready for any solution.