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