Dental Crown Pain: Causes and Treatments
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped restorations that fit over individual teeth to repair dental damage, strengthen the teeth, and may even be used to replace missing teeth when combined with dental implants.
Dental crowns are meant to improve dental health and alleviate dental pain but sometimes patients experience pain after dental crown treatment. Dr. C. Mike Meek and Dr. David J. Tasch, treat dental crown pain at their Austin, TX, based practice 38th Street Dental.
When dental crown pain occurs, it’s important to seek treatment as pain can be a sign of a serious oral health problem. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the causes of dental crown pain and the treatment options available.
What Causes Dental Crown Pain?
Some people may experience pain immediately after dental crown treatment while others may develop pain several weeks or even years after a crown has been placed. The following are some possible causes of dental crown pain:
- Issues with dental crown fit: When dental crowns cause pain soon after placement, it’s usually an issue with how the crown fits within the mouth. For example, crowns that sit too high can affect bite, causing irritation to the nerves within the underlying tooth as well as the surrounding gum tissue.
- Tooth decay: Although dental crowns encase the teeth, it is possible for the tooth inside the crown to develop decay. This can happen if bacteria is able to enter the crown through a crack, or around the base, where the natural tooth is exposed.
- Root canal infection: Root canal infections are very painful. They occur when bacteria reaches the inner chamber of the tooth where its nerves, blood vessels, and pulp tissues are housed. A root canal infection can occur if the tooth is infected prior to a crown being placed. Another way a root canal infection can occur in a tooth treated with a dental crown is if the underlying tooth begins to decay.
- Gum irritation: Gum irritation may occur immediately after a dental crown is placed but should resolve as the gums adjust to the new crown. If pain persists, there may be issues with the fit of the dental crown.
Treatments for Dental Crown Pain
Dental crowns should not cause pain so when pain is present it’s important to seek treatment from our Austin practice to determine the underlying cause and relieve pain. The type of treatment used will be depend on the cause of pain but may include:
- Dental crown replacement: A dental crown may need to be replaced if it doesn’t fit properly and causes pain. Correcting the fit can help alleviate discomfort.
- Treating underlying tooth decay: Underlying tooth decay can cause pain and lead to root canal infections without treatment. In order to treat decay and relieve pain, the dental crown must be removed so that the decay can be removed and the tooth cleaned before replacing the dental crown.
- Root canal therapy: If a root canal infection is the source of dental crown pain, the crown must be removed and root canal therapy may need to be performed. During root canal therapy, the infected tissues are removed from the tooth and the inner chamber is cleaned. A crown will then need to be replaced to protect the tooth from further damage.
Schedule a Consultation
If you are experiencing dental crown pain, it’s important to seek treatment. To schedule a consultation at 38th Street Dental, call our Austin dental office at (512) 458-6222.