Dr. Hall,
I switched to a new dentist and during the required new patient evaluation it was recommended that I have a dental crown placed on my upper next to the last tooth. I had no pain in that tooth, but there had been some discoloration there for several years. The dentist did not perform a root canal. I have had continued pain in the tooth since the procedure. When I went back for the permanent crown after 3 weeks, I told my dentist about the pain. He repeated XRays and said everything looked fine. They only temporarily cemented in the tooth since I was still having pain. He said the tooth would probably get better but might take some time. I was unable to get a time estimate but finally was told maybe months. I said I could live with the pain for months if I knew it would eventually go away and that everything was OK. He said it probably would and if not I would need a root canal. This new crown has never felt right to me and still hurts just as much as it ever has. It has been 3 months now and I have had no improvement. The pain is usually mild as long as I don’t aggravate it. I am unable to eat anything on that side at all. The tooth and gum lines hurts if I touch it with my tongue. Last week the gum became inflamed, red, and extremely painful. The pain radiated to my ear. 24 hours later it was much better. It is still red, but not nearly as much. I am not sure I trust my new dentist. I need another expert opinion. I know that this tooth is only temporarily cemented in and I dread having to reaggravate it when the permanent cement is placed. Thank you in advance for your expert advice!
– Catherine from Texas

Catherine,
You haven’t told me anything that seems out of order, and my guess is that your dentist has done the right thing and you can trust him, at least from what you’ve told me. I myself have had a tooth that has hurt as yours has, and it went on for months while I hoped it wouldn’t need a root canal treatment, but it eventually did.
I would go back to the dentist and relate your experiences, and you will probably end up needing a root canal treatment. If your dentist can’t confirm that and is still puzzled, I would ask him for a referral to a root canal specialist, explaining that you don’t want to deal with the tooth pain. The root canal specialist will be in a better position to give an accurate diagnosis in a situation like this.

I hope this is helpful.
Dr. Hall

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.

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