The tooth under my crown is hurting

Question:

Help!!  The tooth under my crown is hurting.  What does this mean and what should I do?  I’ve only had this crown for one year!!

Answer:

Sorry to hear that your tooth is in pain.  This can mean a number of things.  For starters, it could mean that there is a carious lesion/cavity under your crown.  Sometimes, bacteria are able to find its way under the margins of crowns if not cleaned properly (see article on brushing).  There is also a possibility that some of the bacteria was not removed after the dentist prepped your tooth for the crown.  Or, the pain can be coming from your crown not being correctly adjusted in your mouth.  It could be “too high”, which means your bite could be off, and may need to be reduced by the dentist.

Your best bet is to go to the dentist to evaluate your options.  First, make sure the dentist runs a couple of tests to ensure that the pain is indeed coming from that tooth.  Sometimes, pain in one area is projected to a nearby area, this phenomena is called referred pain and occurs quite frequently.  If the dentist identifies this tooth as the source of the pain, then you’ll have a couple of options.  The crown may just have to be readjusted, which will only take a few moments, or it may have to be removed and the situation assessed from there.  Depending on the extent of bacterial invasion, you may just need the crown re-prepped, a root canal, or even an extraction.  Also, depending on your dentist’s office polices, he/she may offer to re-do your crown for free.

Good luck!