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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Crown On Lower Molar. Minor Toothache, Sensitive While Biting. Reason For Pain? Root Canal Required?

I have a crown on one of my lower molars in the back of my mouth. The crown covers a tooth that was ground down due to the fact that no more fillings could be used on the surface of my tooth...(No root canal done here then). 10 years later....I have been having some minor toothache whenever I bite down on my crown with my upper teeth . Sensititve and slightly hurts...Its not a massive toothache at all but a slight tooth pain whenever I bite down on the CORNER of my crown....Not sure why I have a slight tooth shooting pain when I do that. Does that mean bacteria got underneath the crown and if so, does that mean I will have to have root canal??? I ve made an appt to see the dentist next Wed.... Thanks!!!!
Wed, 20 Feb 2013
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Dentist 's  Response
Hello,
Thanks for sharing your concern with us.
If it is painful for you to eat, the culprit could be tooth decay, or a slight fracture (crack) in a tooth and have infection developed.
Your dentist may advise you to take ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin to dull the pain. Over-the-counter medications containing benzocaine may reduce pain in the affected tooth, or surrounding gum area.
To reduce discomfort from swelling, you may be advised to swish warm saltwater in your mouth periodically throughout the day.
You can contact me again directly through my profile.
Regards.
Dr Neha Gupta
Dentist
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Dentist Dr. Farah Hussain's  Response
hello and welcome,
As you have mentioned , prosthetic crown coverage was done on your tooth without root canal treatment done, that means your tooth is vital and due to grinding of the tooth before crown coverage , the dental pulp or nerve tissue may have got irritated that leads to pain and sensitivity.

Since its been a long the crown was put , Marginal leakage of the saliva or other bacterial debris through the crown may infect the tooth portion which is already exposed and soft.

i wouls suggets you to visit a dentist and get a X RAY examination done which will confirm you if the tooth is involved and needs root canal treatment to remove the infection.

If the tooth is not infected you can simply replace the crown coverage by a new one.

i hope this helps,
take care
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Dentist Dr. Anshumala Singh's  Response
dear friend
my advise to you that is get a xray done of concern tooth, that will detect how much damage is caused within , sometimes slide pain also indicate to bacterial invasion and further pulpal damage.

you can take bite wing xray too for checking adjacent teeth. also after taking xray only it can be judged whether RCT required or not
thanx
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Crown On Lower Molar. Minor Toothache, Sensitive While Biting. Reason For Pain? Root Canal Required?

Hello, Thanks for sharing your concern with us. If it is painful for you to eat, the culprit could be tooth decay, or a slight fracture (crack) in a tooth and have infection developed. Your dentist may advise you to take ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin to dull the pain. Over-the-counter medications containing benzocaine may reduce pain in the affected tooth, or surrounding gum area. To reduce discomfort from swelling, you may be advised to swish warm saltwater in your mouth periodically throughout the day. You can contact me again directly through my profile. Regards. Dr Neha Gupta Dentist