Two Recently Crowned Teeth Need Root Canals?

It sounds as though that these teeth have had extensive work done in a relativley short period of time.  The pain that you are describing can be an early sign that you will have one or two root canals.  Thepulpal inflammation may subside, but you should see a dentist for another opinion to ease your mind.  A root canal is always the last option in my office, but sometimes it is the only choice to relieve your symptoms.  The odds are that most or all of your pain is coming from one of the two teeth and not both.  If this is the case then only one root canal would be required.  Good luck. 

Teeth can be sensitive for a number of reasons. The sensitivity could be more root exposure after the crown lengthening. It could be a bonding issue, or it could be due to the Occlusion (bite). Many times when crowns are placed you are numb. When the dentist checks the bite you think you are biting correctly, however, the you may have a slight interference when biting or moving your teeth. I would have your dentist check your bite first, and then start to eliminate other possibilities. I would not just jump right into root canals, unless you have some radiographic indications, or spontaneous pain, or swelling. I  believe that a second opinion can not hurt. The best thing is to visit the dentist who originally did the work  and resolve this with him/her.

I would recommend getting a second opinion before you do any more treatment.  Sensitivity can arise from a variety of issues.  In your case in particular it can come from:


the crown lengthening surgery - the gums may not have healed yet

there could be excess cement that was not cleaned out completely

the crowns may be "high" - you hit them first when you bite down

after crown preps you may have some discomfort for a week or two


Get a second opinion by someone you can trust and go from there.  Before you get a root canal I would even get a third opinion.  Remember: measure twice and cut once!

 

I feel that a second opinion never hurts, and often puts your mind at ease.  After all, this is your mouth and no one else's, so it begets you to get another opinion.  You should only move forward with treatment once you are completely comfortable with the proposed treatment plan and the dentist him or herself.  It is important for patients to have a two-way conversation with their dentist so they are fully informed and understand their treatment and the reasons the dentist chose this route.  What is confusing and often discouraging for patients, is that many times, dentistry is not black and white.  There is a lot of "grey area" in which different dentists have varying philosophies, often times none of which are absolutely wrong--they're just different.   So, ask your dentist questions, gets answers and explore your options before jumping into treatment. Hope this helps.

Mark,

Every time a tooth is traumatized by either decay, physical trauma, a filling placed, a crown prepared the nerve gets traumatized.  It takes some time for most nerves to recover from the trauma inflicted by dental procedures, including bonding a crown. 

Sometime, rarely, the nerve does not fully recover and gets inflamed and this sounds like what you are experiencing.  A root canal may be need on one or both those teeth.  Sometimes the hypersensitivity may resolve but this is up to your dentist to determine.

Hope this helps,

Dr. Dan Hagi

 

No one is ever too excited to hear the words,"root canal". Sometimes they are necessary, even in cosmetic dentistry.  You may  want to ask your questions to your dentist before getting too involved with other opinions. He may be able to clarify what's going on. Make sure they know how concerned you are and how much pain you are having. 

Teeth can be much more sensitive after crown lengthening. If so he can give you some tips on reducing the sensitivity. If it's immediately after the crowns were cemented, then it could also be caused by your bite pressure.

If old crowns were removed and replaced, then these teeth may have already had extensive damage and crowning them again can irritate the nerves. If the work was deep at the start, then throbbing pain can point to a nerve problem and the need for a root canal.

Don't delay in your follow up, it can get worse.

If you need another opinion, then visit an Endodontist (rather than a dentist who does root canals), they are the specialists in root canals.  

Without examining the teeth there is no way to properly diagnose your problem.  Many things can cause the symptoms you are describing.  If it is only a cold sensitive issue, there may be exposed part of the root that will need to be addressed and likely it would not need a root canal.  I agree with Dr. Frey, many times bonding an all ceramic crown improperly can cause an issue.  The true test is to get a second opinion from another dentist or visit a root canal specialist (Endodontist).  I hope this helps.

Is it waking you up at night?? is it a pain level of 9 out of 10? if you answered yes to both of these then the possibly of a root canal is in your future.  Hard to know without  seeing you and having the proper diagnostic's.

If its a lower level of pain I would suggest waiting for a week or two and see if the teeth settle down. There is a slight possibly that the cement or the way it was cemented is a problem yet, over time they most offen  they will claim down.  All the best!

dr douglas hauck

 

You should definitely get a second opinion from a board certified endodontist (root canal specialist). The sensitivity could have to do with the amount of preparation (drilling) done on the teeth in making the crowns, or due to the bonding (cementing) process, or due to the current occlusion (the way the top and bottom teeth hit each other). First get the endodontist's opinion, and then have your bite evaluated.
 

Often the teeth can experience the increased sensitivity after cementation of any crown. It can be caused by previous preparation of the tooth, leakage under the temporary crown, possible infection. But in your case it sounds more like this also can be triggered by crown lengthening as well. The zone apical to the cemento-enamel junction can be extremely sensitive and react to cold. You should definitely ask for 2nd opinion and clear the actual reasons for the throbbing pain.