Dr. Hall,
I had a crown procedure done on a lower molar one week ago. This is the temporary crown. For the first several days, there was some swelling and tenderness of the gum around the tooth (which I expected) and my jaw hurt to open wide. Since those things have healed and I’ve been able to chew, brush, etc. normally around the crown, I’ve been experiencing pain throughout all of my left lower teeth and in my jaw. The pain is not horrible and is relieved by ibuprofen, but it’s pretty uncomfortable. Nothing in particular seems to precipitate the pain (it is there first thing in the morning). Is this just part of the healing process? It seems to hurt more around my other teeth than the tooth that had the procedure.
– Ashley from Florida
Ashley,
The inflammation in your gum is very common. The persistent pain in the jaw to where you have to take ibuprofen to be comfortable–that isn’t that common. While this could be nothing, it is worth checking. The pain is most likely coming from your tooth, even though it feels like it is in the jaw. It is normal for a tooth to feel some trauma after a big procedure like a crown preparation. If I were your dentist, I think I would coat your tooth with some type of desensitizer sealant on the surface of the dentin to try to get the pain to go away.
When a tooth needs a dental crown, it has already been through a lot–decay and large fillings. It’s possible that this tooth has had so much trauma that the inflammation is irreversible and it will end up needing root canal treatment. Your dentist, who knows how deep the old filling was and whether or not there was decay under the filling, will be in the best position to evaluate the cause of this pain.
– Dr. Hall
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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.
dianne says
I had a crown prep today and the large filling was cracked and replaced with new filling. I have moderate to severe pain around the tooth and gum where I was numbed and seems a little swelling as well. I can hardly touch my cheek it is so tender and slightly burns. I know some pain was expected but at what point should I contact my dentist?
– Dianne
Response by Dr. Hall,
Since your appointment was just today, I wouldn’t be concerned. Sometimes there can be pain just from the effects of the local anesthetic wearing off, if a vasoconstrictor was used with the anesthetic. But if it’s not better by tomorrow, I would call your dentist.