I Had a Root Canal a Couple Years Ago and the Gums Around my Crown Swell Every Time I Eat Meat Like Steak. What is Causing This?

I believe that you have an open contact between your dental crown and one of the teeth adjacent to it.  When you eat tough foods like meat it is getting caught in between your crowns and irritating the gum tissue.  This can be a big problem over time.  The crown may need to be replaced to close the contact.  This will take care of the problem immediately.  Good luck.  

From your description, it sounds like there is an open contact on your crown. Since there is a space, food like steak can easily get stuck in that crevice and cause irritation as well as swelling which makes it difficult to chew and function. The dark line indicates the crown having an underlying metal substructure covered by porcelain. In our office I would suggest a zirconia crown that has no metal substructure like the materials of yesteryear and d signing it in CADCAM software for a perfect contour and form.

Hi:
Unfortunately without photo and X-ray it is difficult to give you accurate advice.  Please post photo and X-ray of the affected area.
Best,
Dr. Maddahi

Thank you for your question.There is a immediate need for you to see a dentist. He/she will take a xray and be able to diagnose properly what is going on. Based on your describtion it can be multiple factors like decay, open contact betwween your teeth, unhealthy gums and, possibly,  all of the above.All the best to you.

Hi Happy Cookie...I am sorry to hear that you are anxious and in pain. Your crown is the cause of the problem. When you chew, some of the food slides down between the tooth teeth and puts pressure on the gum. Where the tooth and gum line come in contact is called the margin. The crown was not prepped correctly and it is too big at the base . The black line you are seeing is the metal under the porcelain cover of the crown. It is a porcelain on metal, and under the gum line, when it recedes far enough, you will see it. You need to see the dentist and have it redone correctly and placed properly. Also I would have an all porcelain crown either E Max or Zironcia done. It is much more esthetically pleasing. Also I would suggest you get a second opinion from anther dentist. You might want to change up!  Warm Regards and Best of Luck!