There are two different types of sensitivity that people often experience after they get dental crowns. One type is sensitivity to biting. The other type is sensitivity to hot and/or cold liquids. It is best for patients to let our Charlotte NC dentists know if they are experiencing any type of sensitivity after getting a dental crown.
It is not uncommon for people to experience sensitivity after getting dental crowns. If a person tells our Charlotte NC dentist that he or she is experiencing sensitivity, then the dentist will check the bite. A high bite can irritate the ligaments that support the tooth. It can also trigger pulpal sensitivity. Patients should not feel any pain when they close their mouths. The bite will need to be adjusted if patients feel pain when they close their mouths.
If a patient is able to close his or her mouth without experiencing pain but has pain while chewing, then the dentist may advise that the patient wait awhile in order to see if the pain improves over time. Crown cementation often irritates the pulp. This irritation can go away over time. It may take months for this irritation to go away, but it may be best for the patient to wait if he or she is willing.
If a patient visits the local dentist office complaining of sensitivity to cold or hot liquids and chewing, then the dentist will take a radiograph. The dentist will try to get the patient to wait longer if there is no sign of pathology. The only options that the dentist has is either cutting off the crown and placing a temporary crown with a filling or performing a root canal. The option that the dentist chooses is contingent upon whether the patient has irreversible or reversible pulpitis.
It is not easy to decide whether pulpitis is irreversible or not. However, the decision is largely dependent upon the prior history of the tooth. The dentist will probably remove the crown and replace it with a temporary one if the tooth was asymptomatic before the crown was placed. The dentist will probably recommend that a patient see an endodontist for a root canal if the tooth was symptomatic or had a preexisting crack.
There is usually no harm in waiting it out if the pulp is not infected. Crown sensitivity has a tendency to diminish over time. However, if the sensitivity becomes unbearable, the patients should visit our local dentist office in South Charlotte.
