Help! My Dental Crown Hurts!
- Posted on: Jul 15 2018
Dental crowns are placed every day in dental offices across the country. This restorative treatment can resolve pain and prevent further damage to a tooth that has been compromised by decay or traumatic injury. If you have a dental crown, the last thing you expect is for it to hurt. In fact, “why does my dental crown hurt” is a highly popular internet search term. Here, we offer some insight into why a tooth may hurt after getting a dental crown and what can be done to restore comfort.
First, Let’s Talk Tooth Structure
There are a few layers to every tooth. What we see is the hard enamel that protects the inner layers of material. Beneath enamel is dentin and, beneath that, we have pulp tissue. The pulp is the heart of the tooth, a mixture of blood vessels and nerves that surround the uppermost end of the tooth’s root system. The fact that there is nerve tissue in pulp means that this part of the tooth is susceptible to stimuli.
Various kinds of stimulation can affect the nerve of a tooth, from temperature changes to decay to direct trauma, like biting on ice. All of these instances are perceived as trauma by the nerve. Each could cause either temporary or permanent effect at the core of the tooth. Also regarded as an injury is the dental work that is done to prepare a tooth for restoration. It helps to understand that pulp tissue can become inflamed. However, we cannot predict whether or not that inflammation will be short-lived or if it will be indefinite.
What Could Dental Crown Pain Mean?
Dental crown pain could mean that the nerve is irritated. If pain occurs right after you have received a dental crown, it may resolve on its own as the nerve settles down from its perception of trauma. If pain persists, it could be because:
- The crown needs to be adjusted. A crown adjustment may be necessary if pain occurs when you bite down. This type of dental crown pain occurs when a part of the restored tooth is hitting the opposing tooth inappropriately. When the crown is adjusted to a lower height, comfort should improve.
- The nerve is permanently affected by stimulation. Every situation is different, but it is safe to say that a tooth that has been repaired multiple times may be more vulnerable to overstimulation. If pain persists weeks after a crown has been placed, root canal therapy may be advisable to remove inflamed tissue.
Schedule a Consultation
The team at Ridgeview Family Dental believes in conservative care and detailed communication about what to expect from dental treatments. To schedule your visit with us, call 660-747-9117.
Posted in: Dental Crowns