Tooth Sensitivity for over 5 Months on New Crown

if pain,discomfort and temperature sensitivity to hot and cold, ask your dentist to take xrays in different direction to check the fit. If the fit is not right you need to redo. Check the bite again for possible adjustment, and if the decay was too close to the nerve you might need root canal.If you grind or clench your teeth, a night guard is a must!

It is common to have some sensitivity following the placement of a new crown.  It sounds as though it is somewhat improving, but not completely gone yet.  I would say that you should give it more time.  Your dentist is correct in stating that you could be grinding and the  minor differences in your bite from the new crown could be causing the tooth to stay bruised.  I would consider an occlusal guard that you would wear at night to see if the remaining discomfort subsides.  If it does not,  then perhaps seeing an endodontist for the potential need for a root canal would be a good idea.  Good luck. 

I know that a sensitive tooth can be a real pain to deal with, no pun intended. Getting a crown placed requires a lot of steps that can irritate the tooth...water spray, air spray, sculpting down the tooth....all for a good reason, which is to protect and restore your tooth. These things can irritate the nerve of the tooth and it can take time for sensitivity to subside. 
A dentist can check all of the directions your teeth can slide and hit together. One tiny interference from a sideways motion can cause this sensitivity. Sometimes these interferences are difficult to replicate. If the crown is adjusted and the interference is removed, it can take about 1-2 weeks for the symptoms to fully resolve. 
If it is root surface exposure causing the sensitivity, you can get MI Paste from a dental office which has minerals to help stop your symptoms and protect the tooth. 

If the sensitivity is improving with sensodyne, likely the tooth will get better on its own with time. Sensodyne is great but MI paste is even better for sensitivity, in my opinion. MI paste is available at the dentist's office only. If the sensitivity does not improve after using MI paste OR if you feel like you cannot tolerate the sensitivity and wait for it to get better on its own, you may want to consider seeing an endodontist to have them evaluate for fractures in the tooth or irreversible pulp damage that may not get better on its own. Hope this helps!

Hi there,
I would have the bite checked to make sure that there aren't actually any interferences in the bite that can irritate the nerve of the tooth.  Because you said that sensodyne seems to be helping, it is most likely a little bit of recession with exposed root that's causing the problem.  In my office I like to use a material called MI paste (GC America) that can really help with sensitivities like this one.  
Good luck!

Hi:The bite has to be checked in all directions to make sure there are no interferences.  Also if you are a clencher or a grinder you need to wear a night guard at night.Best,Dr. Maddahi

Most dentists do the standard hot/cold and tapping tests. Less frequently done but very relevant are pressure tests. These involve biting down on something like a tooth pick or a special dental biting block. 
Bite pressure tests can tell if a tooth itself or its root is cracked, as the crack lets fluid flow in to the living parts of the tooth.
I advise you ask your dentist - or more commonly an endodontist to do these tests, as in my experience five months is far too long for a problem to be ongoing without some more significant cause.

Good luck with finding the solution - 

Kind regards

Thomas Dey, BDS, MSc

Everything should settle down over time. MI paste will be very helpful. If it does not get better, consider changing the crown and wear a temporary crown for a while to make sure everything feels good before proceeding with a permanent one.

I would think that the crown is most likely fine. Sometimes the edge of the crown at the gum covers most of the tooth but there may be some root structure that is exposed. This is why you feel sensitivity to cold on the outside of the tooth and the sensodyne tooth paste helped some. This can happen to any tooth where the root is exposed whether crowned or not. I have found that MI paste (only found at a dentist's office) helps more than sensodyne. If the cold sensitivity only lasts for a few seconds, then there is a chance the tooth will heal on its own. If it lasts for minutes with throbbing then a root canal may be indicated to relieve your sensitivity. Try the conservative method first with the MI paste. Hope this helps.

Hi there,

Some sensitivity is normal after a crown. I would schedule a consult with an endodontist to make sure there is no nerve involvement. 

Best,Dr. Day