In December, I had two upper left crowns replaced. I wore temporary crowns for almost four weeks while waiting for the final one. As I wore the temporary crowns, they started to smell, leave a bitter taste in my mouth, and become painful. My dentist said that the new crowns would resolve the issues. The pain increased after I received my final crowns. When I returned to the dentist, he said that my bite was probably off. He drilled to correct my bite, but now that pain comes and goes. It hurts to chew and bit down on the left side of my mouth. This issue is annoying because I was supposed to begin orthodontic treatment with Invisalign at the end of the month. My dentist doesn’t want to give me Invisalign until my teeth settle down. But he is not doing anything to improve the situation with my crowns. – Thank you. Matías from Houston
Matías,
Almost four weeks is a long time to wear temporary crowns. We understand that your experiencing is frustrating. Although Dr. Reddy would need to examine your crowns for an accurate diagnosis, we will discuss some causes of problems with temporary and permanent crowns.
Pain and Odor with Temporary Crowns
If your temporary crowns begin to smell and hurt, microscopic particles are trapped between the crowns and your teeth and breed bacteria. The bacteria affect the dentin (the layer beneath tooth enamel) and irritate it. The tooth beneath a crown can begin to decay.
Tooth Sensitivity After Permanent Crown Placement
Dental cement that bonds a crown to your tooth can be an irritant. If a tooth is already sensitive, the sensitivity may temporarily increase but gradually decrease and go away. When sensitivity does not improve, your dentist might need to perform root canal treatment on the tooth.
Pain When Biting with a New Crown
If you feel pain when biting or chewing with a new crown, your dentist should adjust your bite until you are comfortable. Even tooth ligaments are irritated in some cases, and your dentist would need to x-ray the roots to see their condition.
When Can You Receive Orthodontic Treatment?
Your dentist must place dental crowns correctly before orthodontic treatment
Orthodontic treatment moves your teeth and the ligaments that support them. Unresolved tooth pain and discomfort with your crowns can get worse during orthodontic treatment. We recommend that you begin orthodontic treatment only when you are sure that the crown issues are resolved.
If your dentist cannot resolve sensitivity with your new crowns, we recommend that you get a second opinion.
Rekha Reddy, DDS, of Dallas, TX, sponsors this post.
