Does these symptoms suggest an ill fitting crown? (photo)

Hi:The symptoms you are describing can be due to bad bite.  This usually can be fixed by simple adjustment.  Please have your dentist check the bite.Best,Dr. Maddahi

Thank you for your question. I would recommend to see a dentist asap to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. X-ray of that tooth might not be a bad idea to make sure there is no cement left around the crown. Also checking the bite and adjusting it, if necessary, most likely will resolve the symptoms.

The gap that you notice, are you referring to a space or opening under the crown, or just that there is a part of your root that is not covered.  The former could be a problem with poor fit, the latter should be inconsequential on the inside of the tooth, and even a preferred way by many dentists who don't want the crown margins under the gums to irritate the gums.If there was cement left and has now been cleaned off, then the irritation should only be temporary provided you have good oral hygiene and brush your teeth at least three times a day and floss at least once a day.If you're having pain when you bite, it is more likely that your crown is "hitting too high" and may need some adjustment.  Recommend returning to your dentist to recheck your bite (occlusion).If you are having "throbbing pain", then you may need a root canal treatment.Saying all that, many patients have "temporary" discomfort after dentistry and it just needs some time to calm down and go away.  Return to your dentist, let him do whatever he thinks necessary, and then just give it some time to heal.

It sounds like the contact point is too tight. If your having trouble flossing then this could be the problem. We as dentists try to make sure the contact with the teeth on either side isn't too loose, trapping food. If it is too tight, the periodontal ligament, the tiny space between tooth and bone which has nerves throughout, can be compressed, causing pain. I use a Cerec AC machine which is more accurate than traditional means of making crowns. The crowns don't have metal, so they look more natural.

I would double check the crown to see if the occlusion (bite) needs adjusting. Even a slightly high spot can make a huge difference. A temporary crown is made of a softer material than a permanent porcelain fused to metal one and may actually wear down a little while it's in place. A permanent crown is much harder and needs to be carefully adjusted so that the bite isn't high. The sooner you have it checked the better.Whenever there is a space or gap between the edge of a crown and unprepared tooth structure, that's an open margin. Open margins are a problem when plaque (which is mostly bacteria) gets into this space. This can cause decay (also known as caries) to occur around or under the crown. There should be a smooth transition and seal between a crown and the surrounding tooth, without any gaps, spaces, grooves or rough areas. A gap between a crown and the gum is not necessarily an open margin. A crown that ends short of the gums can be o.k as long as the edges are closed, meaning no gaps are present.